Election nights are always simultaneous moments of triumph and tragedy. One group of voters’ dreams are dashed, while another set of voters see their hopes realized. Every election is also unique. The United States has had some critical presidential elections that reshaped the way Americans think about politics. This Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, pitting Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris against Republican contender Donald Trump, has not had any notable events so far. But almost every election is worth reading about at some point. There are some big wins, nail-biters and monumental losses that stand out. Big winners The 1964…
Author: Shannon Bow O'Brien, Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin
Former President Donald Trump survived his second assassination attempt on Sept. 15, 2024, marking the latest chapter in a long history book. Presidential assassination attempts, whether successful or not, are fairly commonplace in American history. There have been 45 men elected president since the country’s founding. And 40% of them have experienced known attempts on their lives. Four presidents – Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy – have been assassinated. While Trump and Theodore Roosevelt were both former presidents when they were shot, Ronald Reagan was injured while in office, with a would-be assassin almost…