On this day: October 12
1977 Village Reports Alleged Mass Possessions Affecting Hundreds
On October 12, 1977, a rural community reported an outbreak described locally as mass possession, with authorities and medical personnel debating whether the cause was psychological, social contagion, or spiritual practice. Contemporary accounts differ on scale and explanation.
Al-Qaeda's Suicide Bombing of USS Cole Kills 17 Sailors
On October 12, 2000, two suicide bombers in a small boat detonated explosives alongside the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole while it refueled in Aden, Yemen, killing 17 U.S. sailors and injuring 39 others in an attack later attributed to Al-Qaeda.