The first assassination attempt on a U.S. president happened in 1835 when an unemployed painter attempted to shoot Andrew Jackson. The pistol misfired, and Jackson stormed his would-be assassin, swinging his cane. The painter then pulled out a second pistol, which also misfired. While the damp conditions of that day likely caused the gunpowder to be faulty, Jackson and his supporters chalked up the two misfires to divine intervention.