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George Washington
Lincoln's violent death and his legacy
Lincoln's violent death and his legacy

Abraham Lincoln was laughing at a punch line at a stage play when he was shot once in the back of the head. He never regained consciousness and died nine hours later. Tuesday is the 150th anniversary of the day that John Wilkes Booth snuck into the presidential box at Ford's Theatre during a performance of the farcical comedy "Our American Cousin." Actor Harry Hawk, alone on stage, gave what Booth knew was one of the funniest lines in the play: "Don't know the manners of good society, eh? Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal; you sockdologizing old man-trap!" As always, uproarious laughter followed, and that was when the assassin...