History Today: When US President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the head

On April 14, 1865, then US President Abraham Lincoln was shot and critically injured by John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington. He was carried to a boarding house across the street, where he died the next morning at 7:22 am.

Fast forward to 1988, representatives from the USSR, Afghanistan, the United States, and Pakistan signed an agreement paving the way for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.

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Abraham Lincoln is shot

Though he gained recognition as a stage actor, John Wilkes Booth will be infamously associated with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln .

Then President of the United States, Lincoln was shot in the head at Ford’s Theatre in Washington on April 14, 1865. As he leapt from the theatre box to the stage, Booth shouted, “Sic semper tyrannis! (Ever thus to tyrants!) The South is avenged,” before making his escape on horseback.

Lincoln succumbed to his injuries the following morning.

Lincoln’s time in office coincided with the American Civil War, during which he issued a proclamation to free enslaved people in the Confederacy.

Although the Thirteenth Amendment would later abolish slavery across the United States, Lincoln would not survive to witness its ratification.

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After finding that Lincoln would be attending Laura Keene’s production of “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, Booth devised a plan to assassinate the President, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William H. Seward in a coordinated attack.

That evening, Booth entered the presidential box carrying a concealed .44 calibre derringer and a dagger. He fired at Lincoln’s head. Despite fracturing his left leg as he jumped to the stage, Booth managed to flee the scene and escape the city.

Severely injured, Lincoln was taken to a boarding house located across the street from the theatre. He died there the next morning, at around 7:22 am - becoming the first US president to be assassinated.

Twelve days later, Booth was cornered in a barn. Refusing to surrender even as the barn was set on fire, he was shot in the neck by Union soldier Thomas “Boston” Corbett, and died several hours afterwards.

Soviets agree to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

On this day in 1988, representatives from the Soviet Union, Afghanistan, the United States, and Pakistan signed a pact calling for the phased withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghan soil.

In return for ending its military presence, the United States accepted halting its supply of weapons to Afghan groups opposing the Soviets. Afghanistan and Pakistan, meanwhile, pledged mutual non-interference.

Back in 1978, a coup supported by Moscow brought a communist regime led by Nur Mohammad Taraki to power in Afghanistan. But the following year, Taraki was overthrown by Hafizullah Amin, a Muslim leader who was seen as less favourable to the Soviets.

By December 1979, Soviet forces entered Afghanistan in full force. Amid the invasion, Amin was killed during a Soviet-backed power grab.

Though initially advancing, Soviet troops soon encountered unexpected and fierce opposition from Muslim fighters who declared a jihad, or “holy war,” against the invading atheists.

With backing from the United States, Britain, China, and several Islamic countries, the mujahideen, meaning “holy warriors,” dealt huge blows to Soviet forces.

In April 1988, after a long and bloody stalemate, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev supported a peace deal with Afghanistan.

By February 1989, the final Soviet troops departed the country, which continued to witness civil unrest until the Taliban emerged as the dominant force in the late 1990s.

This Day, That Year

1828: The first edition of Noah Webster’s “American Dictionary of the English Language” was published.

1891: BR Ambedkar, a social reformer and activist who dedicated his life to the upliftment of socially marginalised communities, was born.

1935: A massive “Black Sunday” dust storm swept across the central Plains, turning a clear afternoon into complete darkness.

1944: A deadly explosion aboard the cargo ship Fort Stikine in Mumbai’s docks killed 1,300 people and left another 3,000 injured.

1995: India beat Sri Lanka to win the Asia Cricket Cup final held in Sharjah.

2018: Beyonce became the first black woman to headline the Coachella Music Festival.