James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot in July. Dec 9, 2025 · On July 2, 1881, Pres. James A. Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau, a mentally unstable lawyer and aspiring politician who believed that he had played a key role in Garfield’s election. After Garfield took office, Guiteau repeatedly sought a foreign consulship but was denied. Oct 29, 2009 · James Garfield (1831-81) was sworn in as the 20th U.S. president in March 1881 and died in September of that same year from an assassin’s bullet, making his tenure in office the second-shortest Nov 3, 2025 · Netflix’s Death by Lightning retells the story of James A. Garfield, the 20th U.S. President whose 1881 assassination changed America forever. James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, served a short but impactful presidency marked by his strong commitment to reform. His vision for America extended beyond mere governance; it encompassed economic revitalization, civil service reform, and a nuanced foreign policy. James A. Garfield is remembered as one of the four "lost Presidents" who served rather uneventfully after the Civil War. Of the four lost Presidents—Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, and Harrison—Garfield is best remembered for his dramatic assassination a mere 100 days after he assumed office. The last of seven presidents born in a log cabin, Garfield weighed 10 pounds at birth. He was the first president to campaign in two languages -- English and German. Nov 1, 2024 · James Abram Garfield was born on November 19, 1831, on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio; he was the last U.S. president born in a log cabin. His father died when Garfield was just two years old, but his mother Eliza continued to run their struggling farm. James Garfield gained national attention in January 1862 with the Battle of Middle Creek, in the Sandy

Valley of eastern Kentucky. The Lieutenant Colonel’s task was to drive the Confederates out of eastern Kentucky. Garfield was widely regarded as a superb orator, drawing upon skills he had developed as a preacher. Garfield raised a volunteer force to fight on the Union side in the Civil War and saw action at Shiloh and Chickamauga.