World leaders killed while in power

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

History has recorded the assassinations of numerous world leaders. Presidents, prime ministers, and other individuals in positions of power have all fallen victim to killers, murdered for all sorts of different reasons. Not all have died by the gun or the knife, though; in some cases, they've met their end as the result of an unfortunate accident. So, who are those who passed violently without completing their term in office?

Click through this gallery and look back on the world leaders killed while in power.

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with Kennedy's murder, but he was shot and killed by Jack Ruby before he could be brought to trial.

Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

On November 4, 1995, Yigal Amir, an Israeli law student and right-wing extremist, shot and killed Yitzhak Rabin, the prime minister of Israel. Amir opposed Rabin's peace initiative, particularly the signing of the Oslo Accords.

Indira Gandhi (1917–1984)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Indira Gandhi served as the prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. She was killed by two of her Sikh bodyguards, apparently in revenge for Operation Blue Star—the removal of Sikh militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

William McKinley (1843–1901)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

On September 6, 1901, William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was fatally shot by American anarchist Leon Czolgosz. McKinley died on September 14 of gangrene caused by the wounds.

Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Nicolae Ceaușescu, the last communist leader of Romania, was still desperately trying to cling to power when he and his wife were executed by a firing squad on December 25, 1989, during the Romanian Revolution.

Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

The murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was the most immediate cause of the First World War. Ferdinand was shot and killed in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914.

Olof Palme (1927–1986)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

The assassination of Olaf Palme on February 28, 1986, remains unsolved. Palme, the prime minister of Sweden, was shot and killed while walking home from a cinema with his wife in central Stockholm. In 1989, Christer Pettersson was convicted of the murder, but acquitted on appeal the following year. Despite police naming and arresting other suspects, no one else was charged with Palme's murder.

Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Often referred to as the architect of apartheid, Hendrik Verwoerd served as prime minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966. Verwoerd had survived a previous assassination attempt in 1960, but six years later was stabbed to death in Cape Town by a man called Dimitri Tsafendas.

Hara Takashi (1856–1921)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Hara Takashi was the first commoner and first Christian appointed to be prime minister of Japan. He served in the role from 1918 until his assassination on November 4, 1921. Takashi was stabbed to death by a right-wing nationalist in Tokyo, who believed the Japanese premier was corrupt.

Spencer Perceval (1762–1812)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Spencer Perceval was the prime minister of Great Britain from 1809 until his murder on May 11, 1812. He was targeted by John Bellingham, a merchant with an obsessive grievance against the government. Perceval is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated.

Sadi Carnot (1837–1894)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Shortly after delivering a speech in Lyon on June 24, 1894, French President Sadi Carnot was stabbed by an Italian anarchist named Sante Geronimo Caserio. Carnot died in the early hours of the following day.

António Granjo (1881–1921)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

António Granjo served twice as prime minister of Portugal during 1920 and 1921, until his assassination on October 19, 1921. He was murdered by rebels during the infamous "Bloody Night" in Lisbon after Granjo's government had been forced to resign.

Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Theodoros Diligiannis served as prime minister of Greece no less than five times from 1885 until his assassination on May 31, 1905. He was targeted by a professional gambler named Antonios Gherakaris, apparently in revenge for Diligiannis' crackdown against gambling houses.

Michael Collins (1890–1922)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Irish revolutionary and politician Michael Collins was Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State and commander in chief of the National Army when he was shot and killed in an ambush set by anti-Treaty forces on August 22, 1922.

Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), William McKinley (1843–1901), Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918–1989), Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914), Olof Palme (1927–1986), Hendrik Verwoerd (1901–1966), Hara Takashi (1856–1921), Spencer Perceval (1762–1812), Sadi Carnot (1837–1894), António Granjo (1881–1921), Theodoros Diligiannis (1826–1905), Michael Collins (1890–1922), Samora Machel (1933 –1986)

Samora Machel served as the first president of Mozambique from the country's independence in 1975 until his death in a plane crash on October 19, 1986. While the cause of the accident was attributed to pilot error, speculation as to the exact reasons why the aircraft crashed still circulates today.

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