April 15, 1865
1865-04-15 03:15 UTC
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Lincoln is shot at Ford's Theatre
Five days after the surrender at Appomattox, the president is shot during a performance in Washington.Source ↗
What happened in this minute
John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box during the third act of Our American Cousin at about 10:15 in the evening local time and fired once. Lincoln died the next morning across the street.
The assassination removed the one figure with the standing to shape Reconstruction, and the settlement that followed left the political rights of formerly enslaved Americans unprotected for a century.
The timestamp is 22:15 Washington time converted to UTC, which places it on the following calendar day.
Questions and answers
- What time was Lincoln shot?
- At about 10:15 in the evening on 14 April 1865, Washington time, which is 03:15 UTC on 15 April.
- Why does the date show 15 April?
- The registry records every minute in UTC. The Washington evening of 14 April falls on 15 April in UTC.
- Where can I read more?
- The source link on this page points to a detailed public reference for the assassination.