John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth.

John Wilkes Booth (10 May 1838 – 26 April 1865) was an American stage actor who plotted and successfully executed the murder of American President Abraham Lincoln.

Biography

In April of 1865, with the Confederate Army losing the American Civil War, Booth planned the murder of President Lincoln along with several other political figures. However, only Booth was successful, shooting Lincoln in the back of the head before fleeing the scene.

Twelve days later, Booth was cornered by federal troops in northern Virginia, but refused to surrender. The soldiers set fire to the barn, and in the confusion Booth was killed by the Assassins.