It happened at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. The president was watching Laura Keene's acclaimed performance in 'Our American Cousin'.

The shots were fired into the back of Lincoln's head by John Wilkes Booth, actor and Confederate. The president was fatally founded in the attack; he would die the next morning.

It was all a desperate plan to help save the failing Confederate offensive which was virtually finished in the South. Lincoln was to be shot and so were his two successors, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William H. Seward, thus paralyzing the US government. The other attacks failed.

Booth broke his leg as he jumped from Lincoln's box but he still managed to escape Washington.

Booth was finally caught in a barn near Bowling Green, Virginia. The barn was burned and Booth died of a bullet wound, which could have been self-administered. Eight others were charged with the attacks: 4 were hanged, 4 were jailed.