Netflix's Death by Lightning is a thrilling look into the events leading up to the assassination of President James Garfield (Michael Shannon) by Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen). The series is based on Candice Millard's 2011 nonfiction book, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President .

But how much of what takes place in the series actually happened?

Below, we've broken down Death by Lightning 's most shocking moments and whether or not they're based in historical fact. From brains in jars to chilling executions, here's what Death by Lightning gets right about Garfield and Guiteau's stories (and what's been dramatized).

Is Charles Guiteau's brain really in storage? Matthew Macfadyen in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks /

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