John Wilkes Booth

American stage actor and assassin (1838–1865)

Source-basedStable

Lived 1838–1865, aged 27United States

United States Historical Figures

Fame43.0
Momentum0.8
Historical Figures rank#72
Wikipedia99.8K

Wikipedia
58 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1838–1865
Aged 27

Summary

Updated 2026-06-01

, on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth theatrical family from Maryland, he was a noted actor who was also a Confederate sympathizer; denouncing Lincoln, he lamented the then-recent abolition of slavery in the United States.

Biography

About

John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth theatrical family from Maryland, he was a noted actor who was also a Confederate sympathizer; denouncing Lincoln, he lamented the then-recent abolition of slavery in the United States.

Gallery