ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
President James A. Garfield, a Civil War general and reform-minded Republican, had served only four months when disgruntled office seeker Charles J. Guiteau blamed him for a rejected diplomatic post. Guiteau stalked Garfield at Washington train stations and the Potomac River bridge.
What happened
On July 2, 1881, Guiteau shot Garfield twice at Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station; the president lingered for 79 days while doctors probed the wound with unsterilized fingers and instruments. Garfield died on September 19, 1881, in Elberon, New Jersey, from infection more than the bullets.
Why it still matters
Garfield's death accelerated civil-service reform, culminating in the 1883 Pendleton Act, which reduced patronage appointments. Memorable detail: Alexander Graham Bell tried to locate the bullet with a metal-detecting induction balance, but physicians would not let him scan the correct side of Garfield's body.
Background
His death spurred civil-service reform.