February 12th was once a holiday in the United States -Abraham Lincoln's birthday. Abe was born on 12 Feb, 1809 - 213 years ago. Some people think he might be our greatest President.

Abe was murdered by an actor named John Booth just as America's most un-civil war was ending in early 1865.

Booth, though a successful Southern actor, had been banned in Boston and New York for his threats against the United States and its leaders.

In Ford's theater where he worked, he shot President Lincoln in the head with a 41 caliber revolver on April 14, 1865.

Just 12 days later a company of 26 Union soldiers cornered him in a tobacco barn in the South.

It was the same day that the President's nine car funeral train arrived in New York City. Over 1.5 million people viewed the late President's black train in its seven-state journey to take him home for burial.

As the people in New York tearfully viewed the late President, hundreds of miles to the South, Booth was trapped like a rat in a barn. Ordered to surrender he refused, wishing to fight to the death.

The soldiers were ordered to take him alive. They set the barn ablaze, still the killer would not come out.

Private Boston Corbett went in after him. Booth raised his pistol to fire, but Boston was quicker, and sent John W. Booth to his maker with a single shot from his regulation army side-arm. All Hail Pvt. Boston Corbett!