On this day: October 23

Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis Begins as Chechen Gunmen Seize Audience

On October 23, 2002, armed Chechen militants stormed Moscow’s Dubrovka Theater during a performance, taking around 800 people hostage and triggering a tense multi-day standoff that would end in a controversial Russian rescue operation.

Senate Watergate Hearings Reveal Links Between White House and Break-In

Televised Senate hearings in October 1973 brought to light evidence connecting President Nixon’s re-election campaign and White House aides to the June 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, intensifying calls for investigation and accountability.