They had the motive, the weapon, and the perfect vantage point—until they didn’t. This week, we’re looking at the history-altering moments that didn’t happen. We explore the thin line between a tragedy and a “near miss,” diving into the strange stories of high-stakes targets who escaped by the skin of their teeth. Whether it was a stroke of sheer luck, a mechanical fail, or a target who was just too stubborn to go down, these are the plots that crashed and burned at the finish line.
Research links below!
Famous American Trials – “Biographic Sketch of Lewis Powell”
Smithsonian – “Lewis Thornton Powell”
Lincoln Conspirators – “Lewis Powell’s Life in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida”
Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination – “Lewis Powell”
EBSCO – “Lewis Powell”
All That’s Interesting – “Lewis Powell, The Lincoln Assassination Co-Conspirator Who Stabbed The Secretary Of State”
The New York Times – “Bremer Diary Details Effort to Kill Nixon”
The New York Times – “To Save America’s Lost Children”
The New York Times – “Now, Arthur Bremer Is Known”
The New York Times – “Article Says Nixon Schemed to Tie For to Wallace Attack”
“An Assassin’s Diary” by Arthur Bremer
Justia – “Bremer v. State”
1819 News – “Arthur Bremer’s sentence ends May 15 on anniversary of shooting former Gov. George Wallace”
WSFA 12 News – “George C. Wallace attempted assassin free after 53 years” (YouTube)
TIME – “The Nation: The Making of a Lonely Misfit”