On This Day

The XXth Olympic Games were held in Munich, Germany in 1972. Tensions were high at these Olympics because they were the first Olympic Games held in Germany since the Nazis hosted the Games in 1936.

On September 5th, a group of Palestinian terrorists storms the Olympic Village apartment of the Israeli athletes, killing two and taking nine others hostage. The terrorists were part of a group known as Black September, in return for the release of the hostages, they demanded that Israel release over 230 Arab prisoners being held in Israeli jails and two German terrorists. After negotiations to free the nine Israelis broke down, the terrorists took the hostages to the Munich airport. Once there, German police opened fire from rooftops and killed three of the terrorists. A gun battle erupted and left the nine hostages, two more Palestinians and a policeman dead.

In defiance of the terrorists, the Olympic Committee ordered the competitions to resume after a pause of 34 hours.