On this day, 1812, British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated in the House of Commons. He remains the only PM to have met such a fate.
Born in 1762, the son of an Irish earl, Perceval was educated at Harrow and Cambridge. At the age off 33, he became the Member of Parliament for Northampton. Perceval's worked his way up the political ladder rapidly, taking on the roles of Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader of the House of Commons.
Becoming Prime Minister in October 1809, Perceval had to overcame a number of serious issues, including the Luddite Riots, and the the madness of King George III. On May 11, 1812, he was shot dead by John Bellingham. Bellingham harboured a strong dislike of the government, after they refused to issue compensation after he had been imprisoned in Russia.
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