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Jacob Johan Anckarström 1762-1792
Captain Jacob Johan Anckarström was a
Swedish soldier and the assassin of Swedish King
Gustav III.
Anckarstrom was in the military from
1778 until 1783.
The Assassination of
King Gustav III
On 16 March 1792, king Gustav III
attended a masked ball at the royal opera house in Stockholm, Sweden. During dinner,
Gustav received an anonymous letter containing a threat to his life.
The king received many letters of this kind and wasn't too concerned
about this particular
one.
But he should have been.
Anckarström
approached King Gustav. He stood behind the king and greeted him in
French, "Bonjour, beau masque" ("Good day, beautiful mask.") Then he
shot him in the back.
Anckarstrom was arrested the next
morning.
Gustav III died on March 29, 1792.
On April 16 Anckarström was sentenced.
His right hand was cut off before decapitation.
On April 27,
1792, the Swedes executed their king's assassin.
See also
Assassinations in History.
Anckarström's family changed their name
to Löwenström.
More History
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