John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth was an American theatrical actor from Maryland. He was a member of the prominent Booth theatrical family. Booth assassinated president Abraham Lincoln, and was killed shortly after. He was the first of four presidential assassins in United States history.In 1838, Booth was born in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland. It was a small town with less than 200 residents. Booth's father was Junius Brutus Booth (1796 -1852), a British Shakespearean actor who had migrated to the United States in 1821. Booth's mother was Mary Ann Holmes, Junius' long-term mistress. His parents could not be legally married, as Junius had left his wife back in England when he migrated.Booth was named after the British radical politician John Wilkes (1725 -1797), a member of the Hellfire Club (an exclusive club for high-society rakes). Wilkes happened to be a cousin of Booth's father, though they never met. Junius chose to emphasize their relation.In 1851, Junius Booth finally secured a divorce ... [Details Intro]