The most times high-profile figures managed to escape being bumped off in history.
20. Alexander II of Russia. After Alexander II took control of Russia in 1855, he quickly initiated sweeping reforms across the country. It included abolishing serfdom, building a mass Railway Network, and restructuring the military. Alexander even famously sold Alaska to the US in 1867. However, not everyone was happy about these changes. Revolutionaries and Polish nationalists attempted to cut Alexander's life short on five occasions between 1866 and 1880. Notably, at the World's Fair in 1867, Anthony Berezowski attempted to shoot the Tsar, only for his weapon to break and strike a horse. The sixth attempt on Alexander's life would ultimately prove fatal in 1881. Members of the revolutionary group Naroda Avaya used explosives to assassinate him as he traveled in St Petersburg.
19. Pervez Musharraf: Pervez Musharraf was the president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008 and was seen as a controversial figure. Having seized power through a military coup and aligned with the US during their conflict with neighboring Afghanistan, he unsurprisingly made several enemies who tried to assassinate him over four times. In December of 2003 alone, there were two attempts on Pervez Musharraf's life involving explosives. The president managed to escape unharmed on both occasions. The second attack resulted in the loss of 16 other lives. Then in 2007, an unknown group shot at Pervez Musharraf's airplane as it departed the city of Rawalpindi. All of these attempts proved unsuccessful. In 2023 Musharaff passed away from natural causes.
18. Danny Greene: Danny Greene was a former US Marine who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and was an influential figure in the Longshore Worker's Labor Union. He later became a notorious Crime Boss, forming his gang called the Celtic Club and taking part in the Cleveland Mafia War. It is believed that Green was involved in up to 80% of incendiary attacks in Cleveland over 10 years. He once said, "If any of these maggots from the so-called Mafia want to come after me, I'm not a hard man to find." As such, he became the target of at least four assassination attempts, including a devastating explosion that destroyed a whole floor in his home. However, his luck ran out in 1977 when an explosive placed in an adjacent car went off fatally injuring him.
17. Vladimir Lenin: Vladimir Lenin was one of the key figures in the Russian Revolution which changed the landscape of the country forever. As a result, he was seen as a hero by many and an adversary by others. Lennin's influence and high-profile status made him the target of around five assassination attempts. The most infamous of which occurred in 1918 after speaking at a factory in Moscow. As Lenin headed towards his car, Fanny Kaplan a member of the socialist revolutionary party then fired at him striking the leader twice and inflicting severe injuries. Kaplan was swiftly arrested and executed for the deed. Although Lennin survived the attack, it's believed that it contributed to his declining health and eventual passing in 1924.
16. Bill Clinton: While he's most notorious for his affair in office, President Bill Clinton is also one of America's most targeted politicians. There have been at least six attempts on his life, four of which occurred in 1994. That January, Ronald Barber threatened to take out Clinton as he jogged. Later in September Frank Quarter crashed a small plane onto the White House lawn, losing his life in the process. The following month, Francisco Duran mistakenly shot at a group of people at the White House, believing Clinton was among them. He landed himself a 40-year prison sentence. Finally, Clinton was a target for Ramsey Youssef, who orchestrated the 1993 World Trade Center attack. However, Yousef abandoned his plan due to the president's robust security.
15. Gregori Rasputin: according to popular Legend one of the most difficult people to take out was Gregori Rasputin known as The Mad Monk. His first brush with death seemingly took place in 1914. While leaving his home Rasputin was stabbed in the abdomen by Chionya Giuseva. He managed to knock her out and she was institutionalized in 1916. Rasputin was killed by three Nobles Felix Yusupov, Dimitri Pavlovich, and Vladimir Purishkevich. However, the Story Goes that he put up a fight before eventually going down. Rasputin reportedly withstood being poisoned with Cyanide and shot multiple times before being wrapped in a cloth and thrown into the Malaya Neva River.
14. Sukarno: In 1945, Sukarno made history as the first President of Indonesia after leading the country to independence from the Netherlands. His growing relationship with the USSR raised concerns for the CIA which opposed communist Nations. As such, they backed actions against him including a coup attempt and assassination plots. It is believed there were at least six attempts made on Sukarno's life. In 1957 while visiting a school in central Jakarta, the militia group Darul Islamist used grenades to try and take out Sukarno. He survived the attack but sadly six miners died. Another infamous attempt came in 1960 when Air Force pilot Daniel Malar used a plane to fire at sugar residences, yet the president was not harmed.
13. Rajiv Gandhi: In 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards in response to Operation Blue Star, a military operation to move to seek separatists from the holy Golden Temple. The incident resulted in her son assuming leadership which also made him a target. Between 1985 and 1991, there were nine attempts on his life. In 1987, one such attack was filmed when sailor Vegeta Rohana struck Gandhi with his rifle as he inspected the guard of honor at the house of the Sri Lankan president. Tragically in 1991, time ran out for Gandhi, as he was assassinated alongside 14 others by a member of the separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil who was wearing an explosive device.
12. Yasser Arafat: A prominent figure in Palestinian politics, Yasser Arafat was beloved by many but despised by others. By some estimates, Arafat survived at least 13 assassination attempts. There was reportedly a plan by Israeli forces to shoot down a passenger plane in 1982, believing he was on board. It was scrapped after they realized it was his lookalike brother on the plane alongside some injured Palestinian youngsters. In 1996, another attempt was foiled after Palestine officials discovered a plot by Hamas to attack Arafat with weapons and explosives. Due to the constant threats, Arafat stated he never spent more than one night in the same room. Although official records attribute his death to a stroke, some still believe that Arafat was poisoned. As suspicions of poisoning grew, some Palestinians pointed the finger at Israel.
11. Muammar Gaddafi. After leading a coup in 1969, Muammar Gaddafi took control of Libya and ruled the country for over four decades. As a dictator throughout that time, he made many enemies, especially in the West. In 1986, the US believing that Gaddafi was involved in a Berlin attack, launched a military campaign that targeted his compound with explosives. While he survived, many did not. Also, former UK security officer David Thayer claimed that in 1996, MI6 botched an attempt to assassinate Gaddafi by placing an explosive under the wrong car resulting in several casualties. In 2011, a NATO air strike took the life of one of Gaddafi's Sons but yet again, he evaded death. Gaddafi was eventually captured by NATO-backed militia and rebels the same year and cruelly murdered.
10. Vladimir Putin: Vladimir Putin has become a prime assassination target. To date, it is believed Putin has survived six assassination attempts as they become even more difficult and even more dangerous. I believe that the first known incident was in 2002 when an Iraqi man planning to attack the leader in Iran was arrested. Following his decision to invade Ukraine two more attempts were made in 2022, a Ukrainian official disclosed an unsuccessful attack on Putin that was made in 2023. Two drones were shot down near the Kremlin, which Russia claimed were sent by Ukraine to kill Putin. These incidents seem to have made Putin so paranoid, that he is allegedly using a body double in public.
9. Jawaharlal Nehru: Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first prime minister after the country gained its independence from Britain in 1947. Despite being widely loved Nehru was a target for extremists and this threat became heightened after his fellow activist Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. Altogether Neu is believed to have survived six attempts on his life. In 1955 it was reported that a knife-wielding man jumped on the prime minister's car. Interestingly he played down the incident in the press, calling the weapon very small. That same year, there was also an alleged plot by the CIA to take him out. The final attempt came in 1961, when a device exploded in Delhi while he was addressing the UN, and five people sustained injuries.
8. Barack Obama: No other US president has had as many assassination attempts as Barack Obama with at least seven confirmed incidents. In November 2011, Oscar Romero Ortega Hernandez fired several shots at the White House hoping to hit the president who was fortunately not present. Ortega Hernandez received a 25-year prison sentence. In 2013, Glenn Scott Crawford who had ties to the KKK, and Eric J Fight hatched a bizarre plot. Ray was to target several individuals including Obama. Their plan to use a radiation device was foiled and Crawford was sentenced to 30 years in prison while Fight got 8 years and 1 month.
7. Queen Victoria: Throughout her long reign, Queen Victoria became one of the most influential British monarchs in history. She was nearly killed on eight occasions, the majority happened the same way - A man with a firearm attacked, as Victoria was in her carriage. The first attempt occurred in 1840 as Victoria, 4 months pregnant with her first child, rode with her husband Prince Albert Edward. Oxford stepped forward and fired twice, missing the target. Oxford was subdued and committed to an asylum. In 1850, Robert Pate, a former Army officer who was known for his odd behavior struck the queen on the head with his cane. He was quickly apprehended and confined to a penal facility. In Tasmania Australia, an armed man was found in the gardens and he confessed that he wished to harm the queen.
6. Prince Hussein of Jordan: In his early years, Hussein, the future monarch of Jordan, had a close relationship with his grandfather King Abdullah. In 1951, while Hussein accompanied Abdullahi for prayers, Mustafa Shukri, a Palestinian extremist, opened fire at the pair. King Abdullah was fatally hit, but Hussein miraculously survived after the bullet struck a medal given to him by his grandfather. Throughout his reign as King, which ended with his passing in 1999, Hussein is said to have survived around 12 attempts on his life. These plots ranged from the typical armed rebel schemes to more sinister ones like replacing his nose drops with acid. Another plan to poison Hussein was discovered after several deceased cats were found in the palace.
5. Josip Broz Tito: In 1948, then prime minister and later president of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito was fed up with the attempts on his life by his former World War II Ally Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Tito issued a stern letter to Stalin, demanding he stop sending Killers otherwise. "I'll send one to Moscow and I won't have to send a second" he reportedly said. Stalin kept this letter in his office until he died in 1953 but it didn't stop him or others from trying to take out Tito who allegedly survived 22 assassination attempts. There's even speculation that Stalin didn't perish from natural causes, but due to poisoning, Tito may have followed through on his chilling promise.
4. Charles de Gaulle: Not every failed assassination gets turned into a best-selling novel and an Oscar-nominated movie but not everyone was like Charles de Gaulle. After fighting for France in World War II and leading resistance movements, de Gaulle later became prime minister and then president of France. However, by ending colonial rule in Algeria, he drew the eye of extremist groups. On August 22nd, 1962, an ambush organized by Colonel Jean Marie Bastien Siri peppered the motorcade with bullets. Although two guards reportedly perished the president and his wife were miraculously. One person was executed for his involvement and other conspirators were sentenced to life in prison.
3. Adolf Hitler: While the Allied Forces had ambitions to snuff out Adolf Hitler, he also had internal threats on his life. Historians have so far uncovered evidence of at least 42 plans to assassinate him. In many of these, luck played a big part in Hitler's survival. In 1943, German officer Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff planned to detonate timed explosives as he hugged Hitler after showing him captured Weaponry. However, with the timer set to 10 minutes, Hitler finished quickly leaving Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff to quietly diffuse the device in a bathroom. Similarly, the infamous 20 July plot by Claus von Stauffenberg failed when the explosive briefcase he placed beside Hitler was moved before it detonated.
2. Zog I of Albania: With around 600 blood feuds, King Zog the First of Albania had a lot of enemies looking to knock him off. After all, he reportedly survived over 55 assassination attempts. Zog began his career in the military and later rose to power as prime minister then president and finally King in 1928. A notable attempt occurred in 1924 when he was shot twice by Beer Valtteri as he entered Parliament. The future Monarch reportedly continued working as if nothing happened. Another daring incident happened in 1931 as Zog I and his Entourage were shot at the Opera in Vienna, Austria. While the King was fine, a guard was killed and a minister was wounded it's said that Zog fearlessly fired back at the retreating assailant.
1. Fidel Castro: Few people have danced with death as much as Cuba's Fidel Castro. There were allegedly 638 plans to take the revolutionary leader out, many of which were orchestrated by the CIA. Some of these plots were cartoonish. Two involved tainting Castro's loved cigars with an explosive agent or a toxin. Another featured booby trapping a seashell that would be painted to entice the scuba diving enthusiast. The CIA acquired two books on Caribbean mollusks but they just can't find a Shell big enough to do the job. One plan even seen straight out of a James Bond movie involving a poison administered through a pen. At one point the CIA lazily considered throwing leaflets throughout Cuba offering a reward to take out Castro. Ultimately the man who said he would have won gold if surviving assassinations were an Olympic event passed away in 2016 at age 90.
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