Assassinations that shook the world

New Delhi: An assassination is a murder of an individual, who is usually a famous celebrity. Usually in cases of assassination there is a clear motive – jealousy, political or religious idealism, contract killing, revenge etc. Here is the list surrounding the death of 10 of the ten big assassinations in world history: 1. Mahatma GandhiOn January 30, 1948 evening, India's father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi aka Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was shot and killed while going to a discourse on the grounds of Birla House in New Delhi. The assassin, Nathuram Godse, was a Hindu radical with links to the extremist Hindu Mahasabha, who held Gandhi responsible for weakening India by insisting upon a payment to Pakistan. Godse and his co-conspirator Narayan Apte were later tried and convicted; they were executed on 15 November 1949. 2. Alexander LitvinenkoAlexander Litvinenko was a Russian KGB agent, turned dissident and possible MI6 agent. On November 1st 2006, Litvinenko fell ill after eating at the London sushi restaurant Itsu. He had been receiving evidence about another murder while he was eating at the restaurant. On November 3rd, Litvinenko's condition deteriorated and he was rushed to Barnet General Hospital in London. He died three weeks after his hospitalisation suffering from acute radiation syndrome spawned from exposure to the radioactive polonium-210. The incident gained huge worldwide media coverage, probably due to the similarities in the case to Hollywood spy movies. It is now accepted that Litvinenko was poisoned by a cup of tea in his hotel room. No one has been convicted of the murder; however, there are suspicions of Russian government's involvement. 3. Indira Gandhi On October 31, 1984 morning, Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was on her way to be interviewed by the British actor Peter Ustinov, who was filming a documentary for Irish television. She was walking through the garden of her official residence at 1, Safdarjung Road in New Delhi .As she passed a wicket gate guarded by Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, the former a Delhi Armed Police constable and the latter a Delhi Police sub-inspector, they opened fire. Sub-Inspector Beant Singh fired three rounds into her from his sidearm, and Satwant Singh then fired 30 rounds from his sten gun into her prostrate body. The assassination triggered off widespread violence against the Sikh community, in which nearly 5,000 Sikhs were killed. 4. John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. He served from January 20th 1961 until his death on November 22nd 1963. His Presidency was one of the most event-filled of the 20th century.The space race, American Civil Rights Movement, Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, and the beginning of the Vietnam War all took place during his Presidency. Despite there being hundreds of witnesses to his assassination there is a lot of confusion surrounding Kennedy's death to this day, leading many to suspect a conspiracy. Just before 12:30pm, Kennedy was travelling through Dallas in his open-top limousine. Three shots were then fired from a high-powered rifle, which all entered the president. Kennedy died soon after in hospital. This assassination in particular has had many conspiracies theorists, especially considering the until he died, Despite numerous investigations, the death is still shrouded in mystery.5. Robert F. KennedyUS Senator Robert F. Kennedy was the younger brother of John F. Kennedy. He was shot in the early hours of June 5th 1968 by a man named Sirhan Sirhan. A day later, Kennedy died in hospital. Kennedy had been shot four times at point-blank range. RFK as he was sometimes known had been a Presidential Candidate for the Democratic Party. It is unknown what Sirhan's motivation for killing Kennedy was, however, it is assumed he was a Palestinian terrorist seeking revenge for the US support of Israel in the Six Day's War of 1967. 6. Benazir BhuttoThe assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto took place on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988–1990; 1993–1996) and then-leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, had been campaigning ahead of elections due in January 2008. Shots were fired at her after a political rally at Liaquat National Bagh, and a suicide bomb was detonated immediately following the shooting. She was declared dead at Rawalpindi General Hospital. Twenty-four other people were killed in the bombing. 7. Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King was the main man behind the American Civil Rights Movement. The movement was an attempt to abolish the racial discrimination of African Americans. On April 4th 1968, while standing on the balcony of his second floor motel room, King was fatally shot. Following the assassination there were riots in over 60 cities across the USA, and five days later, President Johnson declared a day of mourning. Two months later, escaped convict James Earl Ray was captured in London, and was extradited to Tennessee where he faced the a charge of murder against King. 8. Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, and held tenure from 1861 until his death in 1865. John Wilkes Booth was a Confederate spy, who had become angry at the President because of his support for the freedoms of African Americans. He became determined to assassinate Lincoln. On April 14th 1865, Lincoln was going to the theatre. With the presence of only one bodyguard wandering through the theatre, Booth seized his opportunity. He waited until laughter filled the theatre and shot the President in the head. Booth escaped, but was caught and fatally shot twelve days later.9.Rajiv GandhiThe assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, took place as a result of a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, India on 21 May 1991. At least 14 others were also killed.It was carried out by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, also known as Dhanu, an LTTE activist. The attack was carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist terrorist organization from Sri Lanka; at the time India was embroiled, through the Indian Peace Keeping Force, in the Sri Lankan Civil War.10. John LennonJohn Lennon was one of the founding members of The Beatles, who had gone on to have worldwide success as a member of the band, and also as a peace activist. On December 8th 1980, Lennon was in New York City. As he was returning to his hotel that evening a man shouted his name. As Lennon turned around, the man shot Lennon four times. Lennon then stumbled into the hotel and collapsed. While this was taking place, the assassin Mark David Chapman dropped his weapon and sat on the street, waiting to be arrested. He was charged with murder and remains in prison to this day.