This day that year: One of the greatest US president's Abraham Lincoln was shot dead in 1865

New Delhi, Apr 14: On this day (April 14) in 1865, Abraham Lincoln, considered as one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history, was assassinated. He strongly opposed slavery and is regarded as one of America's greatest heroes.

Lincoln's distinctively human and humane personality and incredible impact on the nation have endowed him with an enduring legacy. He was the 16th president of the United States and is regarded as one of America's greatest heroes due to his role as savior of the Union and emancipator of slaves.

As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. Further, he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.

Born in Kentucky, Lincoln grew up on the frontier in a poor family. Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. His Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for slavery's abolition, while his Gettysburg Address stands as one of the most famous pieces of oratory in American history.

In April 1865, with the Union on the brink of victory, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was suddenly and tragically assassinated at a time when his country needed him to complete the great task remaining before the nation. On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary, attended a performance at Washington, D.C.'s Ford's Theatre. But shortly after 10 p.m., his assassin, John Wilkes Booth, fired a single bullet, fatally wounding Lincoln. Booth crept up from behind and at about 10:13 pm, fired at the back of Lincoln's head, mortally wounding him.

Lincoln's guest Major Henry Rathbone momentarily grappled with Booth, but Booth stabbed him and escaped. Lincoln was taken across the street to Petersen House. After remaining in a coma for nine hours, Lincoln died at 7:22 am on April 15.

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, while attending a play at Ford's Theatre. After attending an April 11, 1865, speech in which Lincoln promoted voting rights for blacks, Booth decided to assassinate the President. Learning of Lincoln's intent to attend the play with Grant, Booth and his co-conspirators planned to assassinate Lincoln and Grant at the theater and to kill Vice President Johnson and Secretary of State Seward at their respective homes.

(Source: Wikipedia/www.History.com)