On this day: September 5
Munich Olympics Hostage Crisis: Palestinian Attack on Israeli Team, 1972
On September 5, 1972, members of the Palestinian group Black September seized Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village at Munich, leading to a deadly standoff and botched rescue attempts that left 11 Israeli team members, a West German police officer, and five of the attackers dead.
Munich Olympic massacre shocks the world
On September 5, 1972, Palestinian militants took Israeli athletes hostage at the Munich Olympic Village, leading to a day-long standoff and a failed rescue that resulted in the deaths of 11 Israeli team members, one West German police officer, and five of the attackers. The incident transformed perceptions of Olympic security and international terrorism.
September 2015: European borders strained as refugee flows surge
A sharp rise in refugees and migrants in early September 2015 overwhelmed border controls across Europe, triggering emergency responses, temporary border closures and a growing humanitarian crisis as governments struggled to process arrivals and provide basic services.