The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand occurred on June 28, 1914. This event took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and was carried out by Gavrilo Princip, a member of a nationalist group seeking to end Austro-Hungarian rule over Bosnia. The assassination sparked a series of political crises and alliances that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I. It is often cited as the immediate catalyst for the war, as Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia, resulting in a complex web of alliances being activated and escalating tensions that had been brewing in Europe for years.