Arthur Bremer
A lonely, fame-obsessed would-be assassin whose shooting of a presidential candidate altered the course of American politics in 1972.
Born 1950 (age 76)·Attempted assassin of George Wallace·Birthday: August 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Arthur Bremer was a misfit from Milwaukee whose desperate quest for notoriety found its target in the chaotic 1972 presidential primaries. After initially stalking President Richard Nixon, he shifted his focus to Alabama Governor George Wallace, a fiery segregationist running a strong third-party campaign. On May 15, 1972, in a Maryland shopping center parking lot, Bremer stepped forward and fired five shots, hitting Wallace and three others. Wallace survived but was left permanently paralyzed from the waist down, effectively ending his presidential bid. Bremer's stated motive, detailed in a narcissistic diary published after his trial, was a desire for fame, not politics. His act had profound political consequences: it sidelined a major candidate, and some historians argue it helped clear a path for Richard Nixon's re-election. Bremer served 35 years of a 63-year sentence, a model prisoner who refused interviews, before his quiet release in 2007, his name forever attached to a moment of senseless violence that changed history.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Arthur was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Shot and permanently paralyzed Alabama Governor George Wallace during the 1972 presidential campaign, effectively ending Wallace's bid for the presidency.
- His published diary, 'An Assassin's Diary,' provided a chilling look into the mind of a fame-seeking lone attacker.
- His crime is cited as a pivotal event that influenced the dynamics of the 1972 presidential election.
Did You Know?
Before targeting Wallace, he spent weeks stalking President Richard Nixon but found security too tight.
His diary, entered as evidence at his trial, was later published and even inspired parts of the film 'Taxi Driver.'
He was released on parole in November 2007 after serving 35 years and has maintained strict privacy since.
At his sentencing, the judge told him, 'You have not only destroyed the life of Governor Wallace, but you have destroyed your own life.'
“I just wanted to be somebody, to make the whole world notice me.”
