This Abraham Lincoln Theory Changes Everything

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was assassinated on the night of April 15, 1865, according to History. That is an undeniable and unimpeachable fact about which there is no ambiguity in the annals of American history. Further, it's known for certain that he was shot and killed at Ford's Theatre while he watched a play — "Our American Cousin" — slain by a disgruntled actor and Confederate sympathizer named John Wilkes Booth. The actor jumped from the president's box seat, injuring his ankle in the process while the audience laughed, thinking it was part of the show. Meanwhile, the fatally injured president was taken to a boarding house across the street, where he later died.

Given the nature of politics and power, it's no surprise that assassination is commonplace, regardless of where in the world you look. Over the years, hundreds of leaders and political figures have been killed in murderous plots that changed the course of history. And while developed countries like the United States see less, there have still been many attempts to execute the powerful — namely, presidents. But only four schemes were successful — the killings of James A. Garfield, William McKinley, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy. Those last two, in particular, share some chilling connections.

President Abraham Lincoln is remembered for many things: helping to abolish slavery, leading the United States out of the Civil War, and being one of the most widely-respected presidents of all time. But one thing President Lincoln isn't known for is dashing good looks. Lincoln was, by most accounts, a rather unusual-looking man, to put it lightly. But not everyone did put it lightly. In fact, per CNN, one journalist described Lincoln as "the leanest, lankest, most ungainly mass of legs, arms, and hatchet-face ever strung upon a single frame," adding that Lincoln "has most unwarrantably abused the privilege which all politicians have of being ugly."

As historian Todd Arrington explains (via National Park Service), Robert Todd Lincoln was the eldest and longest-surviving son of President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. His younger brother, Edward, died as a young child in Illinois long before his father was elected president. Another brother, William, died during Lincoln's presidency, in 1862. Robert's youngest brother, Thomas, known as Tad, died in 1871, a mere 18 years old. In contrast, Robert, the oldest son, lived to be nearly 83 years old. Nevertheless, Robert himself might not have taken his long life as a blessing.