On June 5th, 1968, American politics was plunged into mourning with the shooting of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Fresh from a victory in the California Democratic primary, the charismatic senator was celebrating with supporters at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles when he was gunned down by Sirhan Sirhan. Despite being rushed to hospital, Kennedy succumbed to his injuries the following day.
This assassination came just five years after the death of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, further shattering American confidence and leaving a nation reeling. Robert F. Kennedy, seen as a champion of social justice and a potential future president, was mourned for his personal qualities and the promise he embodied. His death cast a long shadow over American politics and highlighted the deep divisions of a turbulent era.