On This Day in American History |
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On Jan. 30, 1835, President Andrew Jackson survives an assassination attempt—the first attempt on a U.S. president. The would-be assassin was Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house painter who was likely mentally ill. Lawrence approached Jackson after a funeral in the House of Representatives with the intention of shooting him. The gun misfired, and the 67-year-old president clubbed Lawrence several times with a cane. During the scuffle, Lawrence attempted to shoot a second gun, but it also misfired. |
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