If Americans hear the names of Lee Harvey Oswald or John Wilkes Booth, they most likely would know their historical crimes. If the name John Hinckley comes up around anyone in Generation X or older, he or she would probably get the reference. However, if one pulls people aside on Any Street USA and asks them to name either of the would-be assassins of former President Donald Trump, it’s fair to wonder how many people would name either of them without knocking on Google’s door.

Whether it’s the cynicism and disinterest of the current electorate or the numbing speed of the modern news cycle, the limited shelf life of dual assassination attempts from the public’s daily discourse suggests an unprecedented disconnect between the major stories of the day and the people possibly affected by them.