Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in Kentucky to farmers Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. He started his political career in 1830 and rose through the ranks over 31 years, becoming the 16th President of the United States. As president, Lincoln led the North to victory in the Civil War, gaining hatred from Southern states. On April 14, 1865, while watching a play with his wife, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, who shot him at close range in Ford's Theatre.