Political assassinations are as old as politics themself. From ancient Rome to communist Russia, leaders have a history of meeting their demise at the hands of unexpected perpetrators. There have been a number of assassination attempts on American Presidents, however, only four have been successful. While all four of these murders were perpetrated by different assailants, there is one man connected to three of them. 

Robert Lincoln Todd

The man at the center of this web of assassinations is Robert Todd Lincoln whose connections began at birth. As the eldest son of President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, Robert was no stranger to tragedy. Robert’s younger brother, Edward, died tragically in 1850, barely a month before his fourth birthday. 

Robert’s other brother, William, succumbed to a case of a typhoid-like disease which led to his death in 1862. His death was particularly traumatic to the entire Lincoln family but would be far from the final loss Robert would endure.

The Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln

Robert’s connection to presidential assassinations begins with the most personal to him, his father, 16th President Abraham Lincoln. When John Wilks Booth crept into Ford’s Theater on the night of April 14th, 1865, his target, President Lincoln and his wife were enjoying the play, Our American Cousin. However, missing from the audience was Robert, who was invited to the play by his father but declined, claiming he planned to have an early night. 

Robert was understandably shocked by the news of his father’s shooting. According to future Secretary of State John Hay’s account of the fateful night, Robert immediately rushed to the Peterson house where the President lay dying. Robert’s grief did not stop him from rising to his responsibility though. Hay claims that following the initial shock, Robert spent the rest of the night soothing his distraught mother. 

The Assassination of President James Garfield

Following the assassination of his father, Robert was approached numerous times about seeking political office himself. He resisted the pleas of the Republican Party until early 1881 when he became the Secretary of War under 20th President James Garfield shortly after his election in 1880.

On July 2nd, 1881, President Garfield was scheduled to make a trip to New England alongside several of his cabinet members. Absent from the Presidential travel party would be Robert Lincoln, who was unable to make the trip until the following day. Lincoln planned to inform President Garfield of his travel plans himself, but never got the chance.

As Lincoln approached the President outside of Washington, D.C.’s Baltimore and Potomac train station, Secretary of State James G. Blaine walked up behind Garfield and shot him twice. Lincoln watched the murder from 40 feet away.

Garfield was moved back to the White House where Lincoln instructed all intruders to leave and directed a strong military guard throughout the premises. According to historian Jason Emerson, Lincoln’s actions that night echoed the decisions of his father’s Secretary of War on the night of his own death. Robert was haunted by his father’s murder that night, saying to the New York Times the next day “How many hours of sorrow I have passed in this town.” 

The Assassination of President William McKinley

Following President Garfield’s assassination, Lincoln remained the Secretary of War for Garfield’s replacement, Chester Arthur. Following his years of service, Lincoln became general counsel of the Pullman Palace Car Company, and would eventually become the company’s president. 

After a summer vacation in New Jersey in 1901, Lincoln and his family planned to return home to Chicago in early September. On their way, they decided to stop in Buffalo, New York and visit the Pan-American Expo, a massive world’s fair. They arrived on the evening of September 6th, however, they would barely make it off the train before more tragedy struck. 

President William McKinley was already at the Pan-American Expo, spending two days visiting the world’s fair. McKinley’s two-day trip concluded with a meet-and-greet with his constituents at the Temple of Music, despite requests to cancel the event. 

At around 4 pm, McKinley went to shake the hand of a man named Leon Czolgosz but was instead met with a pistol that Czolgosz used to fire two shots into the president from point-blank range. 

Lincoln was handed a note informing him of the shooting immediately after he stepped off the train. He then headed straight to the home of the Pan-American Expo’s president where McKinely recovered from a seemingly successful surgery. 

Lincoln and his family returned to Chicago believing that McKinley’s health was heading in the right direction. However, one week later, McKinley died from an infection. 

Robert Lincoln’s Curse

While Robert Lincoln was only physically present for the death of one of these three Presidents, his connection to all of them has been perceived by many as more than coincidental. Lincoln himself was reported to fear that he might be cursed. 

Despite being the son of one of the nation’s most well-known figures, Robert Lincoln managed to create his own legacy. He was a passionate civil servant and accomplished businessman, however much of this is overshadowed by his close proximity to death. Despite all that he accomplished in his life, Robert Lincoln will always be known as the man connected to three presidential assassinations. 

The post One Man’s Connection to Three Presidential Assassinations first appeared on History In Memes.

It’s not uncommon for people to become wildly attached to their pets. For many, a pet can serve as a sort of surrogate child, and even be treated better than some people. But one man in ancient Rome took his pet ownership to a whole different level.

Who Was Caligula?

Born in 12 A.D., Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus was the third son of Roman general Germanicus in the Rhine. While growing up, his father’s troops nicknamed him “Caligula,” which translates to “little boot,” in reference to the child-sized uniform his parents dressed him in. Following his father’s death, his mother and brothers were seen as political rivals to emperor Tiberius, Caligula’s great-uncle, who put them in prison where they would eventually die.

Caligula was able to escape imprisonment with the help of his grandmother. Emperor Tiberius would go on to adopt Caligula as well as his cousin, Gemellus, and name them equal heirs to his empire. Caligula would ascend to the throne of Rome at the age of 25 following the death of Tiberius.

Caligula: The Mad Emperor

Not even a year into his time as emperor, Caligula became severely ill. Many attribute the illness to the epilepsy he experienced as a child which triggered an epileptic psychosis as an adult, leading to extreme paranoia. Not unlike other rulers who have suffered from similar hysteria while in power, his rapidly developing state of madness led to unpopular decisions, such as the restoration of cruel treason trials as well as ordering the execution of his ally Naevius Sutorius Macro as well as his cousin, Tiberius Gemullus, who he saw as a potential challenger. 

Caligula’s descent into madness continued, ordering bizarre building projects such as a two-mile floating bridge that would allow him to spend two days galloping back and forth across it. His biography, Suetonius, claimed that tormented high-ranking senators by making them run in front of his chariot and was even rumored to have incestuous relationships with his sisters.

The Emperor and His Horse

According to Suetonius, Caligula loved one thing above all others: his horse Incitatus. His steed was said to have been treated better than most people, sleeping in a marble stall, wearing a jeweled collar and even eating oats mixed with gold flakes. Compared to other claims about Caligula’s actions, fawning over a horse might be one of the least strange reports about him.

According to Suetonius’ writings, Caligula planned to make Incitatus a consul, the highest elected public official of the Roman Republic. Consuls served as the heads of state, commanding the army, presiding over the Senate, and representing the state in foreign affairs. A rather important role to bestow upon a horse.

So why name a horse to such an esteemed position? While some believe the proposition to be a sign of his insanity, others interpret it as genuine affection for his closest companion. However, many scholars contest that the proposal was a calculated political maneuver that was intended to mock and humiliate the Senate and showcase Caligula’s absolute power.

How Did the Senate React and What Became of Caligula?

The Roman Senate wasn’t thrilled with Caligula’s suggestion. They viewed the potential joke as a slight to the revered position and the political system in general. Additionally, many viewed it as a sign of the growing dangers of the emperor’s madness.

The public shared the Senate’s anger and concern, fearing what this suggestion could mean for the fate of roam. While they and the senate lacked much political power to move against the Emperor, their opportunity arrose after he made an enemy of Cassius Chaerea, one of his guards.

Cassius, alongside other conspirators, assassinated Caligula as well as his wife and daughter to eliminate any potential successors.

While Incitatus never actually rose to the status of consul, the mere suggestion of it was enough to put an end to Caligula’s reign. This story has no happy endings though. Caligula’s bodyguard went on a murder spree following the assassination, vowing to kill those involved in the assassination. Most of this legend was documented by Seutonius in Lives of the Twelve Caesars, which played a major role in further perpetuating the legacy of madness that is still associated with Caligula and his horse to this day.

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The Brooklyn Bridge is a towering monument that unites the New York boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River. The unique cable-stayed/suspension bridge hybrid has been an iconic symbol of one the world’s grandest cities since it opened in 1883. At the same time, immigrants were flooding to NYC in search of a better life. When George Parker saw this combination, he saw one thing: Opportunity.

Meet George Parker

George Parker was born in 1860 to Irish Immigrant parents in New York City. Parker was blessed with the gift of charm. A natural salesman, he would use his charm and confidence to swindle naive and ambitious targets into hugely profitable sales – or at least profitable to him. He identified immigrants as the perfect combination of the two traits and set to work on the con that would eventually make him infamous – selling the Brooklyn Bridge.

Why the Brooklyn Bridge?

The unique usage of the Brooklyn Bridge helped spawn the idea in Parker’s mind. The Bridge’s role as the link between Manhattan and Brooklyn made it the most convenient means of pedestrian travel between the two boroughs, with thousands making the crossing daily.

At the time, passage over the bridge was not free. Tolls at the beginning of either side would charge pedestrians a penny, horse riders five cents and a horse and cart 10 cents. These toll stations would serve as the building blocks for Parker’s bridge scam.

The Scam

To pull off this scam, Parker would have to look and act the part. He would patrol the ends of the bridge, always impeccably well-dressed to give the appearance of a wealthy and accomplished businessman. Once he had selected his target, Parker would approach them and present himself as the owner of the bridge with the assistance of well-made forged documents. He wouldn’t offer to sell them the bridge right away, he would instead offer them a job operating one of the bridge’s toll booths.

Once he had his victim’s attention, he would use his charm to bait them into a “business partnership” that would allow them to co-own the toll booth. From there, he would spin his web of deception further until arriving at his ultimate goal – an offer to sell the Brooklyn Bridge itself. By offering them ownership of the bridge, he was giving them an opportunity to build the American Dream that so many of them fled their homes in search of.

Being the savvy con artist he was, Parker would adjust his asking price based on what he thought his target could spend. It’s rumored that at the height of the scheme, Parker sold the Brooklyn Bridge for $50,000, equivalent to about $1.8 million today.

Once Parker had secured the money from the bridge buyers, he would go on his way delighted by another successful scam. Meanwhile, the buyers would begin trying to recoup their return on investment, with some going as far as to set up toll booths on the bridge. Eventually, though, police would show up and shut down the non-city-owned toll booths and send the victims home empty-handed and accused of perpetrating a scam of their own.

The Scam Comes to an End

Parker’s ruse was so successful that he did it again, and again, and again. It has long been rumored that Parker would execute this plan up to twice a week, treating the Brooklyn Bridge as his own gold mine. It was this repeated execution that would eventually lead to Parker’s downfall.

As more and more people told the local police that they were the rightful owners of the bridge, they eventually noticed the pattern. To put an end to the confusion, police placed signs all around the bridge making it clear that the landmark was not for sale, putting an end to Parker’s scam.

Well, an end to his bridge scam at least. Parker would pull the same scheme on unsuspecting citizens for years, selling city sites such as Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Statue of Liberty, and Ulysses Grant’s tomb. He would eventually be arrested in 1908.

However, Parker’s unique skill set would prove to be useful for more than just selling landmarks he didn’t own. Following his arrest, he was able to escape the courthouse by simply donning the hat and coat of a sheriff. 

It wasn’t until 1928 that Parker’s luck finally ran out when he was sentenced to serve a life term in Sing Sang Prison. He would spend the final eight years of his life there where he would regale fellow inmates and guards with tales of his various schemes.

There are few con artists throughout American history more successful or well-known than George Parker. His sales of the Brooklyn Bridge and other New York City landmarks serve as a perfect encapsulation of the lengths people will go to to achieve their American Dream, even if it means tricking somebody else out of theirs.

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