List of terrorist incidents
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of non-state terrorist incidents that have not been carried out by a government
or its forces (see state terrorism
and state-sponsored terrorism
). Assassinations are listed at List of assassinated people.
There is no single accepted definition of non-state terrorism in common use, so incidents listed here are restricted to those that:
allies were killed by a combination of the Ku Klux Klan
and well-organized campaigns of violence by local whites in a campaign of terrorist violence that overthrew the reconstructionist governments in the American South and re-established segregation. 1893, 9 December: French anarchist Auguste Vaillant
bombs the French Chamber of Deputies
injuring 20 deputies.
. 1958, 15 August: Three people were killed in a bomb blast Beirut
. The bombing also injured ten more and on the day that United Nations General Assembly was pondering ways to end violence in the Middle East. 1960, 5 March: The French freighter
La Coubre explodes
, killing between 75 and 100 people with 200 injured. The government suspects sabotage. 1962, 22 May: Continental Airlines Flight 11
explodes and crashes near Unionville, Missouri
, killing all 45 on board (the only initial survivor succumbed to injuries later in hospital) after it was determined to be a suicide committed as insurance fraud. 1963-1970: Front de libération du Québec
(FLQ) committed frequent bombings targeting English businesses and banks, as well as McGill University
. The whole bombing campaign resulted in 8 known deaths and numerous injuries. 1965, 26 June: Two simultaneous explosions took place near a restaurant in the 1965 Saigon bombing
during the Vietnam War
. The attack killed 42 people and 80 were wounded.
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
or its forces (see state terrorism
State terrorism
State terrorism may refer to acts of terrorism conducted by a state against a foreign state or people. It can also refer to acts of violence by a state against its own people.-Definition:...
and state-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism is a term used to describe terrorism sponsored by nation-states. As with terrorism, the precise definition, and the identification of particular examples, are subjects of heated political dispute...
). Assassinations are listed at List of assassinated people.
There is no single accepted definition of non-state terrorism in common use, so incidents listed here are restricted to those that:
- Are believed to not have been state-sponsored
- Are either commonly called terrorismTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, or meet at least some of the commonly used criteria
1800-1899
1865-1877: Over 3000 Freedmen and their Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
allies were killed by a combination of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
and well-organized campaigns of violence by local whites in a campaign of terrorist violence that overthrew the reconstructionist governments in the American South and re-established segregation. 1893, 9 December: French anarchist Auguste Vaillant
Auguste Vaillant
Auguste Vaillant was a French anarchist, most famous for his bomb attack on the French Chamber of Deputies on 9 December 1893. The government's reaction to this attack was the passing of the infamous repressive Lois scélérates.He threw the home-made device from the public gallery and was...
bombs the French Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...
injuring 20 deputies.
1900–1949
- MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
1904, 18 May: Ion PerdicarisIon PerdicarisIon Hanford Perdicaris was a Greek-American playboy who was the centre of a notable kidnapping known as the Perdicaris incident, which aroused international conflict in 1904.-Family life:...
and Cromwell Varley kidnappedKidnappingIn criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and ransomed by bandit Mulai Ahmed er RaisuliMulai Ahmed er RaisuliMulai Ahmed er Raisuni was the Sharif of the Jebala tribe in Morocco at the turn of the 20th Century, and considered by many to be the rightful heir to the throne of Morocco...
in MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. 1910, 1 October: Los Angeles Times BombingLos Angeles Times bombingThe Los Angeles Times bombing was the purposeful dynamiting of the Los Angeles Times building in Los Angeles, California, on October 1, 1910 by a union member belonging to the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers. The explosion started a fire which killed 21 newspaper...
by a member of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers Union killed 21 people and injured an additional 100. 1920, 16 September: Wall Street BombingWall Street bombingThe Wall Street bombing occurred at 12:01 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, 1920, in the Financial District of New York City. The blast killed 38 and seriously injured 143...
killed 38 people and wounded 300 others. 1921, 13 December: 100 soldiers and police officers were killed by a bomb thrown by Bessarabian separatistsBessarabiaBessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
at the Bolgrad palace. 1925, 16 April: A group from the Bulgarian Communist PartyBulgarian Communist PartyThe Bulgarian Communist Party was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state...
blew up the roof of St. Nedelya Church in an assaultSt Nedelya Church assaultThe St Nedelya Church assault was an attack upon St. Nedelya Church in Bulgaria. It was carried out on 16 April 1925, when a group of the Bulgarian Communist Party blew up the roof of the St Nedelya Church in the capital Sofia. This occurred during the funeral service of General Konstantin...
during a funeral service, killing 150 people and injuring 500. 1937-1948: The IrgunIrgunThe Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
are responsible for numerous attacks in British-mandated Palestine. 1940, 3 March: Politically motivated bombing targeted at the communist newspaper Norrskensflamman (Northern Flame) by various perpetrators. 5 persons were killed, 2 of which were children, along with 5 others injured. 1940-1956: George MeteskyGeorge MeteskyGeorge P. Metesky , better known as the Mad Bomber, terrorized New York City for 16 years in the 1940s and 1950s with explosives that he planted in theaters, terminals, libraries and offices...
, the "Mad Bomber", placed over 30 bombs in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in public places such as Grand Central Station and The Paramount Theater, injuring ten during this period in protest against the local electric utility. He also sent many threatening letters. 1947, 25 July: Three Romanian terrorists kill an aircrew member aboard a Romanian airline. This is attributed as the first hijacking that resulted in a fatality. 1949, 5 August: 12 killed and dozens injured in the Menarsha synagogue attackMenarsha synagogue attackThe Menarsha synagogue attack took place on August 5, 1949, in the Jewish quarter of Damascus, Syria. The grenade attack resulted in 12 fatalities.-The attack:...
, DamascusDamascusDamascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. 1949, 9 September: 23 perish when a bomb explodes aboard a Quebec Airways Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
registration CF-CUA, travelling from Aéroport de l'Ancienne Lorette to Baie-Comeau AirportBaie-Comeau AirportBaie-Comeau Airport is located south southwest of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, near the St. Lawrence River.-Airlines and destinations:...
, and crashing in Sault-au-Cochon, QuebecSault-au-Cochon, QuebecSault-au-Cochon is an unorganized territory in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality...
after a man planted a bomb in order to claim his wife's life insurance policy.
1950-1969
1956, 16 June: One man was killed and six others injured when a bomb exploded in NicosiaNicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
. 1958, 15 August: Three people were killed in a bomb blast Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. The bombing also injured ten more and on the day that United Nations General Assembly was pondering ways to end violence in the Middle East. 1960, 5 March: The French freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
La Coubre explodes
La Coubre explosion
The freighter La Coubre exploded at 3:10 p.m. on 4 March 1960, while it was being unloaded in Havana harbor, Cuba. This 4,310-ton French vessel was carrying 76 tons of Belgian munitions from the port of Antwerp. Unloading explosive ordnance directly onto the dock was against port regulations...
, killing between 75 and 100 people with 200 injured. The government suspects sabotage. 1962, 22 May: Continental Airlines Flight 11
Continental Airlines Flight 11
Continental Airlines Flight 11, registration N70775, was a Boeing 707 aircraft which exploded in the vicinity of Centerville, Iowa, while en route from O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois, to Kansas City, Missouri, on May 22, 1962...
explodes and crashes near Unionville, Missouri
Unionville, Missouri
Unionville is a city in Putnam County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Putnam County.-Geography:Unionville is located at ....
, killing all 45 on board (the only initial survivor succumbed to injuries later in hospital) after it was determined to be a suicide committed as insurance fraud. 1963-1970: Front de libération du Québec
Front de libération du Québec
The Front de libération du Québec was a left-wing Quebecois nationalist and Marxist-Leninist paramilitary group in Quebec, Canada. It was active between 1963 and 1970, and was regarded as a terrorist organization for its violent methods of action...
(FLQ) committed frequent bombings targeting English businesses and banks, as well as McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. The whole bombing campaign resulted in 8 known deaths and numerous injuries. 1965, 26 June: Two simultaneous explosions took place near a restaurant in the 1965 Saigon bombing
1965 Saigon bombing
On June 26, 1965, during the Vietnam War, a series of two bombings took place in Saigon.42 people were killed in the explosions.- My Canh Café:The first bomb detonated at 8:15 p.m...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The attack killed 42 people and 80 were wounded.
- GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
1967, 12 November: A bomb exploded on board British European Airways Flight 284 near Rhodes killing all 66 people on the aircraft. 1968, 4 September: Three bombs were detonated in Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, killing 1 person and injuring 51 people. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign AffairsMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one of the most important ministries in the Israeli government. The ministry's role is to implement Israel's foreign policy, and promote economic, cultural, and scientific relations with other countries....
states the number of injured people at 71. 1969, 12 December: Piazza Fontana bombingPiazza Fontana bombingThe Piazza Fontana Bombing was a terrorist attack that occurred on December 12, 1969 at 16:37, when a bomb exploded at the headquarters of Banca Nazionale dell'Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana in Milan, Italy, killing 17 people and wounding 88...
, Milano, killing 17 people and wounding 88.
1970–present
See also
- List of terrorist incidents by death toll
- List of aircraft hijackings
- List of assassinated persons
- List of designated terrorist organizations
- List of events named massacres
- List of incidents of political violence in Washington, D.C.
- List of mass car bombings
- Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents
External links
- U.S. National Counterterrorism Center's Worldwide Incidents Tracking System
- Fatal Terrorist Attacks in Israel since the Declaration of Principles (September 1993) to September 2000
- Assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan: Documents from the U.S. National Archives
- History of Terrorism : Timeline of Terrorist Acts - Chronology
- Thinkquest: Timeline of Terror
- Infoplease: Terrorist Attacks on Americans
- Infoplease: Terrorist Attacks (within the United States or against Americans abroad)
- Frontline : Terrorist Attacks on Americans
- PBS FRONTLINE/New York Times "Al Qaeda's New Front" Chronology of significant plots uncovered in Europe both before and after 9/11. January 2004
- "Ephéméride Anarchiste" Listing anarchist terrorist incidents in France, or others countries. In French.
- Selected terrorist incidents worldwide, through September 2000: complied by Wm. Robert Johnston