Misko Jovanovic was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He became a successful businessman in Tuzla where he owned a cinema, was director of a bank, the president of the local school board and a member of the Serb-Orthodox Episcopal Council. Unknown to his many business friends, Jovanovic was also a member of the Black Hand secret society.

In the summer of 1914 Jovanovic agreed to help Gavrilo Princip, Nedjelko Cabrinovic, and Trifko Grabez to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. His main role was to transport and hide the weapons that were going to be used by the gang.

On Sunday, 28th June, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie von Chotkovato were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip. Princip and Nedjelko Cabrinovic were captured and interrogated by the police. They eventually gave the names of their fellow conspirators. Muhamed Mehmedbasic managed to escape to Serbia but Jovanovic, Danilo Ilic, Veljko Cubrilovic, Vaso Cubrilovic and Cvijetko Popovic were arrested and charged with treason and murder.

Eight of the men charged with treason and the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand were found guilty. Under Austro-Hungarian law, capital punishment could not be imposed on someone who was under the age of twenty when they had committed the crime. Nedjelko Cabrinovic, Gavrilo Princip and Trifko Grabez therefore received the maximum penalty of twenty years. Vaso Cubrilovic got 16 years and Cvijetko Popovic 13 years. Misko Jovanovic, Veljko Cubrilovic and Danilo Ilic, who helped the assassins kill the royal couple, were executed on 3rd February, 1915.