Fears ran rampant yesterday night when the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was shot dead by a Turkish police officer in Ankara. Many people have gone as far as predicting that World War III was imminent. We’re thankfully not so sure about that. History shows that for every assassination that sparks bloody confrontations, there’s one that actually incites peace. Here are the contrasted outcomes of five of the most infamous assassinations in history.
Franz Ferdinand (1914):
Franz Ferdinand is a name that history books are unlikely to forget. It’s not hard to see why. As the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne during the early 20th Century, Ferdinand’s death was the spark that ignited World War I. That’s obviously not a possibility that many around the world want to envision right now, so we’ll mention this: there’s a kickass British band that took Ferdinand’s name and put it to good use.
Ghandhi (1948):
The world could be a truly cruel place sometimes. Ghandhi’s assassination in 1948 was certainly one of those instances. Ghandhi was shot dead by a Hindu extremist who believed that the globally beloved pacifist was favouring Muslims during Pakistan’s split from India. The sadness that swept across the nation sadly failed to sweep away the religious tensions in the country, and Ghandhi’s ideals remain a distant fantasy.
John F. Kennedy (1963):
It was a shame when one of the most beloved U.S. presidents in history was assassinated at the hands of Lee Harvey Oswald less than three years into his term. Kennedy’s death has been vigorously disputed to this day, so we don’t actually know why he was killed.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1968):
It didn’t necessarily come as a surprise when Martin Luther King was assassinated by James Earl Ray in 1968. The influential civil rights activist had, after all, rattled a cage too many during his campaigning. Thankfully, his death didn’t come without a reward. Today, racism has visibly shrunk across the United States, with the nation even celebrating a Martin Luther King Jr. day every year.
Anwar Sadat (1981):
Egypt’s third president was famously assassinated by religious extremist, Khalid Islambouli, in 1981 during the annual celebration of Egypt’s crossing of the Suez Canal. Shock naturally dominated the country afterwards. President Hosni Mubarak expertly manoeuvred the ensuing mess, but religious fanaticism is still plaguing Egypt to this very day.
