On Nov. 27, 1978, the late Dianne Feinstein, then the 45-year-old president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and two-time failed mayoral candidate called a press conference to announce her retirement.
That afternoon, a supervisor killed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
Feinstein handled the moment with poise, and went on to serve 9 years as mayor and 3 decades in the U.S. Senate.