On March 30, 1981, a 30-year-old man named John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. After giving a speech at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., Reagan was returning to his limo when Hinkley shot him and wounded three others. Reagan’s press secretary James Brady was struck in the head and became permanently disabled.
As Reagan was waving to a crowd, a bullet ricocheted off his limo, struck him under his left arm, broke a rib and caused massive internal bleeding. His injuries were far more serious than first thought. In fact, some initial reporting claimed Reagan was “unharmed.” In fact, Reagan almost died. The would-be assassin was wrestled to the ground.
At the hospital, Reagan reportedly said to first lady Nancy, “Honey, I forgot to duck.”
As Reagan was wheeled to the operating room, Reagan said to his doctors,…
