Some Deaths Are Like Dominoes

You never know how one person's death will affect the world. Sometimes, it takes just one bullet to completely change the fate of nations. From kings and presidents to revolutionary leaders and cultural icons, assassinations have reshaped politics, ended eras, sparked wars, inspired movements, and even moved borders. Here are 20 famous assassinations that altered history. 

unattributed on Wikimedia

1. Abraham Lincoln

The murder of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 significantly stunted the US's reconstruction process after the Civil War. Lincoln was sympathetic to the rights of Black people and would've seen to extending civil rights to freed people. His death led to a race struggle in the US that persists to this day.

Alexander Gardner on Wikimedia

2. John F. Kennedy

The assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 had a profound impact on American politics. After his death, Lyndon B. Johnson became president, reversing Kennedy's intended trajectory of reducing US involvement in Vietnam and stunting civil rights progress.

Cecil Stoughton on Wikimedia

3. Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar's murder in 44 BC created a power vacuum that led to a series of civil wars in Rome and the ultimate rise of Augustus as the first Roman emperor. This shifted Rome from a republic into one of the greatest empires in history that dominated the world for centuries.

Nicolas Coustou on Wikimedia

4. Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is often cited as the spark that ignited WWI. It had the chain reaction of mobilizing alliances across Europe. Within weeks, there was a full-blown war unlike anything seen before, paving the way for the Russian Revolution, fascism, and ultimately, WWII.

Ferdinand Schmutzer on Wikimedia

5. Indira Gandhi

The assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 plunged the country into a devastating period of anti-Sikh riots that killed thousands. It put an end to Gandhi's borderline authoritarian regime, but religious and political tensions deepened in ways that persist to this day.

Warren K. Leffler on Wikimedia

6. Philip II of Macedon

The assassination of Philip II of Macedon paved the way for Alexander the Great to build one of the largest empires in history. He was killed by one of his bodyguards while preparing to invade Persia, but his death allowed Alexander to swiftly consolidate power, crush rivals, and launch his own campaigns against Persia.

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7. John Lennon

John Lennon was a symbol of counterculture ideas, peace, and love, so his death had a profound cultural impact. It immortalized his music, making songs like Imagine hit differently, galvanized activism around gun control, and marked the symbolic end of the peace-and-love era that dominated the 1960s and 70s.

Marko Kafé on Wikimedia

8. Leon Trotsky

The murder of Leon Trotsky in 1940 changed the trajectory of the Soviet Union. He was one of the most prominent opponents to Joseph Stalin, so his death paved the way for Stalin's devastating totalitarian regime, characterized by the Great Purge, gulags, famines, and millions of deaths.

Unknown author on Wikimedia

9. Yitzhak Rabin

Yitzhak Rabin was serving as the prime minister of Israel until his assassination by a right-wing extremist who was opposed to Rabin's signing of a peace accord with Palestine. Rabin was committed to negotiation and compromise with the Palestinians, and his death led to the stunting of peace in the Middle East and greater polarization of Israeli society in ways that are still apparent today.

Yaakov Saar on Wikimedia

10. Martin Luther King Jr.

The assassination of the US's most prominent civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr., shook the country in profound ways. It led to widespread riots, a surge in the Black Power Movement, and created greater political backlash and distrust in institutions by African Americans that persists today.

Dick DeMarsico on Wikimedia

11. Benazir Bhutto

Prime Minister of Pakistan and the first female leader of a Muslim-majority country, Benazir Bhutto, was murdered by extremists in 2007. This created a power vacuum and instability that altered the country's trajectory towards democracy and strengthened extremist groups.

OliverMarkCC on Wikimedia

12. Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to office in California. His murder invigorated LGBTQ+ activism, helped alter public opinion, and advanced anti-discrimination and hate crime legislation in the US. 

Darryl Pelletier on Wikimedia

13. Anwar Sadat

The murder of the president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, in 1981 altered the course of Middle Eastern politics. It ended a period of peaceful reform and paved the way for Hosni Mubarak to take power, leading to a devastating era of authoritarian rule that lasted until 2011 and increased tensions in the region.

Unknown author on Wikimedia

14. Tsar Nicholas II

The assassination of Tsar Nicholas II and his family by Bolsheviks in 1918 marked the end of the Russian monarchy and led to the establishment of communism and the Soviet Union. It reshaped global politics, fundamentally changed Russia, and led to millions of deaths under Joseph Stalin.

Boissonnas & Eggler on Wikimedia

15. William McKinley

The 25th president of the US, William McKinley, was shot in 1901, opening the door for the young, dynamic Theodore Roosevelt to take power. Roosevelt pushed ambitious progressive reforms that reshaped 20th-century America.

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16. Alexander II of Russia

Alexander II was murdered in 1881, leading to the strengthening of the secret police, increased censorship, and authoritarian control in Russia. The period of repression and unrest ultimately set the stage for the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Sergey Lvovich Levitsky on Wikimedia

17. Patrice Lumumba

Former prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and leader of the Congolese National Movement, Patrice Lumumba, was assassinated in 1961. This opened the door for Joseph Mobutu’s decades-long dictatorship and derailed democracy in the Congo, leaving a lasting impact. 

Harry Pot (ANEFO) on Wikimedia

18. Theo van Gogh

Theo van Gogh was a Dutch filmmaker and activist who was murdered by an Islamist extremist in 2004. His death prompted the Netherlands to reassess security policies, changed public opinion about immigration, ignited tensions between Dutch citizens and Muslim residents, and prompted a wider discourse about extremism across Europe.  

Sjakkelien Vollebregt on Wikimedia

19. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

The murder of Bangladesh's founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1975 by a military coup dramatically impacted the country's history. His death derailed his vision for a secular, democratic Bangladesh and marked the beginning of an era of political instability and military influence. 

Unknown author on Wikimedia

20. Isoroku Yamamoto

The killing of Japan's most important naval commander, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, Isoroku Yamamoto, by American forces marked a turning point in WWII. His death was a major psychological victory for the US and marked the end of Japan's military supremacy on the Pacific front.

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