World's 10 famous leaders who were assassinated

New Delhi: Assassinations of famous men and women cause political and social upheavals. In India, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was the result of Indira Gandhi's assassination. An assassination is a murder of an individual, who is usually a famous celebrity, politician, religious figure or royal. Usually they are murdered because they are deemed a threat by others in authority, or because of some controversial political stand they have taken, but sometimes the rationale can be as simple as the quest for revenge or the desire by the assassin to be famous. In any case, usually these murders are but minor footnotes in history, but occasionally they can and have had a profound impact on not only a nation, but on history itself. Here is a list of 10 of the most famous successful assassinations in world history:1. Benazir Bhutto, PakistanThe 11th and only woman Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto served in two non-consecutive terms from November 1988 to October 1990, and then from 1993 until she was finally dismissed in November 1996. She was shot during a campaign rally in Rawalpindi on 27th December, 2007, after which she was immediately taken to the Rawalpindi General Hospital but could not survive the injuries. The responsibility of the attack was claimed by Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, an Al-Qaeda commander. On 26th April, 2013, Pervez Musharraf was taken into house arrest on account of his possible links to her death.2. John F. Kennedy, USA Commonly referred to as JFK, this 35th President of the United States of America was on a political trip to Texas when, on 22 November, 1963, he was assassinated in Dallas. He was shot thrice, in his throat, in his upper back, and finally in his head. A survey conducted by Fox News in 2004, concluded that while 66% of Americans thought that the assassination of JFK was a conspiracy, the remaining 74% thought that attempts were made to cover up the killing.3. Indira Gandhi, India Indira Gandhi was the 2nd Prime Minister of India who attempted intensely for creating modernization in India. Her heroic works are still in the heart of people. She was the only prime minister of India who declared a ‘state of emergency' considering ‘rule by decree' and imprisoned after it. She was shot by her own two Sikh body-guards in the end of her last speech. Satwant singh and Beant singh who surrendered later were hanged. It was terrible loss for India.4. Martin Luther King, Jr., United States He was the leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement that aimed to put an end to the racial discrimination of African Americans. He was shot dead on 4th April, 1968 by a white man named James Earl Ray, who was his staunch opponent. King was killed with a gunshot while he was standing on the balcony of his motel room. This incident was followed by riots in more than 60 cities across the U.S.A.5. Abraham Lincoln, USA The 16th President of the United States of America was shot dead on 15th April, 1865 by a Confederate spy from Maryland named John Wilkes Booth, while Lincoln was watching a play at the Ford's theater. Booth was allegedly enraged by Lincoln's support for black voting rights in America.6. Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan A prominent politician of the subcontinent, and the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Khan was shot dead while addressing a public gathering at a local park in 1951. The motives for the assassination are still unknown.7. Rajiv Gandhi, India One of the prominent Prime Minister, who was an idealist for many youngsters was suppose to attend an election campaign which was arranged in the place mentioned above. It was believed that he encouraged initially for the LTTE with ammunition and other arms but later when LTTE as a fascist organization turned against him and feared that Rajiv Gandhi can cause problems to their group and even can annihilate them. Hence the leader of LTTE Prabhakaran along with others made a master plan to eliminate Rajiv and they planned the bomb explosion. Around 14-15 people died along with him in the bomb blast on the day of his death.8. Malcolm X, US Malcolm X was a famous Black American minister, a member of the radical group known as the Nation of Islam. He emerged as a controversial figure due to his radical views. He died at the age of 39 in 1965, shot 16 times by an assassin while giving a speech.9. Franz Ferdinand, Austria The Austrian heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand was shot dead during a visit to Sarajevo in 1914 with his wife. His death was directly linked to the breakout of the First World War, when Austria waged war on Serbia two months later.10. Mahatma Gandhi, India Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was the Father of Independent India, whose policies of non-violence and civil rights continue to influence the world. He was shot dead on 30th January, 1948 by a Hindu extremist, Nathuram Godse, who believed that Gandhi was guilty of favoring Pakistan. He was also a staunch opponent of Gandhi's policy of non-violence.