The Most Famous Political Assassination In History?

[naomi24]

Mary Beard in her documentary on the history of Rome said that the assassination of Julius Caesar is the most famous political assassination in history. I’m not so sure. Lincoln was the first that sprang to mind, but then Gandhi…. Kennedy…. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria?
What would you say?

[jno]

Caesar first, Kennedy second (unlike the Gandhis, you don't even have to ask "which Kennedy?"). Americans may put Kennedy first, Lincoln second.

[DTCwordfan]

Archduke Ferdinand as look what it triggered.....

How about in the UK, Spencer Percival? All over compensation for being imprisoned in Russia...... It could well be there have been others that are more important, say Louis Mountbatten - and the impact on Irish/UK politics.

[jim360]

MLK Jr?

[Old_Geezer]

It's a matter of opinion. Any of your suggestions can be selected as "most famous". Indeed it's possible the most famous one in the world may not even be one I have heard of. You need to set up a global poll ;-)

[DTCwordfan]

The New Statesman came up with the infamous comment in the Ford Theatre in Washington, "Apart from that little incident, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?" (However - what a close run thing it was as to the others involved - and, in part, because of Cheri Blair's relative).

Takes a Brit sense of humour.....bit like some of the better jokes post 9-11.

[agchristie]

If this question came up in Family Fortunes I would throw in Litvenenko to make up the numbers...

[DTCwordfan]

Agree with OG there - how about Inejiro Asanuma for example? Or M-F Carnot, or Tsar Nicholas II and the impact on the Russias?

[jourdain2]

I rather think that since Shakespeare wrote about Caesar and the play is constantly being performed, read or studied, then it would be hard for the others to be referred to or thought about for the same amount of time. In that sense, Mary B is probably right i.m.o..

[-Talbot-]

The graphic footage makes Kennedy's assassination the most in history imo.

[DTCwordfan]

9-11 victims?

[naomi24]

OG, it is, as you say, a matter of opinion. I just wondered what other people's opinions are. All suggestions welcome.

[Ellipsis]

The one that came straight to my mind on reading the title of the OP was Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

[-Talbot-]

insert *famous* ^ up there

[CrapAtCryptics]

Infamous surely

[naomi24]

DTC's suggestion of the 9/11 victims is interesting. Of all the examples mentioned I'd hazard a guess that more people worldwide are aware of 9/11 than of any of the others - but whether 9/11 would be considered 'political assassination' is debateable.

[naomi24]

CrapAtCryptics, I take your point, but Mary Beard said 'famous'. Neither here nor there really.

[Prudie]

My immediate thought would also be Kennedy if we mean 'famous' probably because we still don't know who really did it and it must pop up in everyday life possibly once a month even now.

[Jackdaw33]

I saw a documentary a few years back which concluded that JFK was not assassinated but accidentally killed by one of his bodyguards who was returning fire. How true that is, though I don't know.

[Hypognosis]

@jno

// you don't even have to ask "which Kennedy? //

Not a Stones fan then?

[jno]

lol, I think Robert Kennedy's faded from history a bit since then; JFK's the one. It was certainly "the Kennedys" back in the 60s, though.

Part of it, I think, is that Lincoln and Gandhi were assumed (rightly or wrongly) to have done their life's work; Kennedy and Caesar were killed when they still had lots of work to do.