how old was lincoln when he died
Abraham Lincoln was 56 years old when he died.
Quick Scoop: How old was Lincoln when he died?
- Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809.
- He was assassinated on April 14, 1865, and died the next morning on April 15, 1865.
- That means he was 56 years old at the time of his death.
He was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and passed away at 7:22 a.m. the following day, making him the first U.S. president to be assassinated.
Why this still feels so young today
If you think about it in today’s terms, 56 feels relatively young, especially for a leader who was in the middle of reshaping the country after the Civil War. His death cut short plans for Reconstruction and left many historians wondering how different U.S. history might have looked if he had lived longer.
Many modern discussions and forum threads on Lincoln’s life focus on this “what if” — what might have happened if a 56-year-old president, with his experience and popularity, had been able to guide the nation through the fragile postwar years.
Fast facts at a glance
- Age at death: 56 years old.
- Date of death: April 15, 1865.
- Place of death: Washington, D.C.
- Cause: Gunshot wound to the head from assassin John Wilkes Booth.
TL;DR: Abraham Lincoln was 56 years old when he died.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.