On the evening of April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln celebrated at the end of four terrible years of Civil War by attending a comedy at Ford's Theater. But comedy turned to tragedy on the stage of the theater that night, when the famous actor, John Wlikes Booth, slipped into the box behind the President and shot Lincoln in the head from pointblank range. The repercussions of that fatal shot would be felt throughout the world and into modern times. The dramatic events leading up to the assassination, the unusual cast of characters, speculation surrounding the conspiracy and how history was changed that night at Ford's still capture our imagination. The story of Ford's Theater itself is an intriguing blend of tragedy and triumph. Includes an Index.

(Key Words: United States History, United States Presidents, Assassinations, Abraham Lincoln, United States Civil War, John Wilkes Booth, Ford's Theater, Tragedy, Triumph, White House, Washington D.C., Confederate States Of America).