This Day in History

Sat, 23 Nov 2024

Hijacking of EgyptAir Flight 648 (1985)

Minutes after taking off from an Athens airport on November 23, 1985, EgyptAir Flight 648 was hijacked by five Palestinian terrorists. The plane was forced to land in Malta, where authorities attempted to negotiate with the hijackers. The terrorists shot two Israelis and three Americans before Egyptian commandos launched a disastrous raid in which nearly 60 hostages were killed. Remarkably, three of the passengers shot by the terrorists survived. How did one of the terrorists almost escape? Discuss

Fri, 22 Nov 2024

Juan Carlos I Becomes King of Spain (1975)

Juan Carlos was groomed for the role by his predecessor Francisco Franco, the Spanish leader who abolished the republic and declared Spain a representative monarchy. He acceded to the throne two days after Franco's death, becoming the first Spanish king since his grandfather was deposed in 1931. A popular monarch, he presided over Spain's transition to democracy and acted to maintain political stability. He competed in what Olympic event in 1972?

Thu, 21 Nov 2024

First Permanent ARPANET Link Is Established (1969)

Funded by the US Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), ARPANET was the first digital network that utilized packet switching, a method of data transmission. A revolutionary technology, it ultimately led to the creation of the modern Internet. The network's first permanent connection was made between computers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Stanford Research Institute. By 1983, more than 300 computers were connected. What was the first message sent through ARPANET?