Voting Station

Samuel J. Byck

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Assassin (Failed)

The Resume

    (January 30, 1930-February 22, 1974)
    Attempted to hijack a DC-9 passenger plane and crash it into the White House in order to kill President Richard Nixon

Why he might be annoying:

    He was bipolar.
    He thought he would be hailed as a hero and sent rambling tape recordings outlining his plot to public figures such as Leonard Bernstein and Jack Anderson.
    He killed an airport security guard and the co-pilot of the plane.
    When the pilot told him they couldn't take off until the wheel blocks were removed, he shot the pilot and co-pilot, which, in addition to being mean, was short-sighted since he had no idea how to fly the plane.
    He dragged a female passenger into the cockpit and told her, ‘Help this man fly the plane.'
    After he was shot by police snipers in the stomach and chest, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
    Accounts of his assassination attempt usually include bad puns along the lines of ‘His plot literally never got off the ground.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    When the Secret Service investigated reports that Byck had threatened Nixon (1972), his psychiatrist said he was ‘a big talker who makes verbal threats and never acts on them.'
    When the police shot out the window of the cabin door, he let his female hostage return to her seat.
    The press reported his hijacking attempt but not the reason behind it to prevent copycat crimes.
    The pilot recovered and returned to flying five years later.
    Sean Penn played him in a movie (2004).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 27 Votes: 59.26% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 18 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 13 Votes: 61.54% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 8 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 24 Votes: 70.83% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 25 Votes: 52.00% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 24 Votes: 54.17% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 30 Votes: 76.67% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 12 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 56 Votes: 69.64% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 67 Votes: 71.64% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 43 Votes: 79.07% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 98 Votes: 76.53% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 100 Votes: 75.00% Annoying