The assassination of Kim Jong Nan was pretty intense, but a weak cousin to the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, perhaps Putin's most Putinesque moment until he started blackmailing a U.S. president. On its face, polonium poisoning was a truly ingenious idea. Difficult to detect by conventional means. But once scientists figured out that a lethal dose of polonium was the culprit, it quickly became clear just how sloppy and amateurish the assassins had been. They spilled polonium all over everything wherever they went. In hotels, in cars, on planes, etc., making it obvious to everyone exactly what happened. On the other hand, Putin was able to send a pretty clear message about the extent he was willing to go to punish an enemy with a slow and painful death. Truly puts to shame the stories of Soviet era KGB traitors being fed feet first into Kremlin furnaces. Herculean efforts, sloppy planning, getting lucky at just the right moment. These are common themes across the history of political hits. What's your favorite assassination?
Gavrilo Princip killing Franz Ferdinand and his wife. The circumstances in which it happened makes it look like it was predetermined by fate instead of coincidence.
Realistically, I'd imagine the top-3 (for impact) would have to be Archduke Ferdinand, JFK, and Lincoln?
I've always found Jack Ruby assasinating Lee Harvey Oswald to be captivating with all the controversy around JFK's assassination and the fact that it happened with so many police and the media right there to film it. Plus the goofy look on Oswald's face when he gets shot almost makes the whole thing comical.
Weaklings. Also, Caesar got only the one play about him -- Lincoln and JFK have so, so many movies, books, etc... EDIT: Though his dressing is also pretty good. I probably wouldn't eat a salad with Lincoln Dressing...
I'd be tempted to put the assassination of MLK as more important to the history of the U.S. than that of JFK, though perhaps the consequences/aftermath of their deaths are a bit intertwined.
The Assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII at the hands of the Mythic Dawn, which caused the Dragonfires to be snuffed out and allowed the Daedra Prince Mehrunes Dagon to invade Tamriel, which led to the eventual breakup of the Septim Empire and the resurgence of the Aldmeri Dominion.
I'm fond of this one for the clean getaway. https://www.theatlantic.com/interna...ffle-bags-death-officially-unsolvable/328642/
I think for sheer chutzpah it has to be Putin nuking Litvinenko but for lasting impact Archduke Ferdinand. We're still awaiting a forensic analysis of The Donald's of course...
What a cheerful thread... But, alas, if I must share some joy to this topic...Archbishop Thomas Becket.
Not as politically impactful, but presaging the assassination of the Archduke was the fatal stabbing of Empress Elisabeth.
It's comforting to know that no matter how bad my life becomes. No matter how depressed I get. No matter how many tears I shed. I can always rely on Rylo Ken to cheer me up with his joyful threads...
Georgi Markov - assassination by ricin-tipped umbrella on Waterloo Bridge. Done by the KGB/Bulgarian secret service but what a delightfully British way to shuffle a chap off this mortal coil.
