1881: James A. Garfield, who had only been president for four months, was shot by Charles Guiteau, and would succumb to his wounds on September 19, 1881. Guiteau, a failed lawyer, evangelist and University of Michigan attendee who believed Garfield owed him a government position, was convicted of murder and executed on June 30, 1882. The assassination prompted public outcry and led to the passage of the Pendleton Act in 1883, which aimed to reform the civil service system, reducing political influence in government appointments and instituting merit-based hiring practices