Even more than two decades after the World Trade Center fell, that tragedy still dominates our collective imagination of terrorism. It cast a long shadow over countless earlier violent episodes, making it easy to forget that history is littered with dozens of deadly attacks that never made the headlines. In this roundup we dive into 10 history 8217’s most neglected terrorist incidents – events that claimed lives, shifted politics, and vanished from popular memory.

10 history 8217: A Glimpse Into Hidden Terror

10 The Haymarket Affair

On May 3, 1886, a crowd of laborers assembled outside the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company in Chicago, demanding an eight‑hour workday – a cause that had been simmering since the 1860s. Police, tasked with protecting strike‑breakers, opened fire, killing one protester and wounding several others. The next day the protest swelled to over a thousand workers, and amid the chaos a mysterious bomb was hurled into the police ranks. Sources differ on how many of the eleven fatalities resulted directly from the blast versus friendly fire, but the tally settled at eleven dead, seven of whom were police officers, and roughly a hundred injured.

In the aftermath, Illinois authorities arrested eight prominent anarchists, accusing them of orchestrating the bombing despite flimsy evidence. One detainee took his own life in prison; four were hanged on November 11, 1887. Remarkably, in 1893 Governor John Altgeld granted pardons to the three remaining men, acknowledging that the trial had been a miscarriage of justice – jurors had already presumed guilt, the accused possessed solid alibis, and witnesses testified they had not planted the bomb. The Haymarket Affair thus stands as a stark reminder of how quickly labor unrest could be criminalized in the Gilded Age.

9 Los Angeles Times Bombing

By 1910, labor strife had intensified even in heavily unionized Los Angeles. The newspaper magnate Harrison Otis, owner of the Los Angeles Times, earned a reputation as a union‑busting villain – he even rode in a limousine equipped with a cannon to intimidate strikers. Seeking revenge, iron‑working brothers James and John McNamara planted sixteen sticks of dynamite in the Times’ basement on September 30, 1910. Unaware of the building’s gas lines and the flammability of the printing inks, the explosion ignited a ferocious fire that claimed 21 lives and injured dozens more. Otis escaped unharmed, hiring famed private detective William Burns to hunt the perpetrators.

The McNamara brothers remained at large until April 1911, when their supplier Ortie McManigal implicated them in a confession. Renowned attorney Clarence Darrow took up their defense, and despite Darrow’s vigorous investigation, the brothers eventually admitted guilt. John McNamara received a life sentence, while James was sentenced to fifteen years – a comparatively light punishment that nonetheless set back the momentum of the American labor movement.

8 Wall Street Bombing

September has proven ominous for New York City’s financial district. Exactly a decade after the Los Angeles Times blast, a derelict cart laden with explosives was left parked at 23 Wall Street, directly opposite the J.P. Morgan Building. At noon on September 16, 1920, the device detonated, hurling iron sash weights and shrapnel across the street, toppling cars and killing 38 people while wounding about 300. Among the injured was J.P. Morgan’s grandson, Junius Morgan.

Unlike the LA Times case, no organization claimed responsibility. Italian anarchist Pierto Angelo was suspected, yet an alibi cleared him, and he was deported anyway. Thousands were rounded up for questioning – factory workers, stable hands, anyone who might have handled the heavy iron weights – but the investigation stalled. The case was officially closed in 1940, still without a definitive perpetrator.

7 Bath School Disaster

In the quiet Michigan town of Bath, the Consolidated School was erected in 1922, financed by a property‑tax increase that infuriated local farmer Andrew Kehoe, who also served as school‑board treasurer. Facing foreclosure on his farm, Kehoe smuggled surplus World War I dynamite into the school’s basement. On May 18, 1927, at 8:45 a.m., a time‑triggered bomb detonated, killing 38 students and six adults. Kehoe then drove to the scene with a trunk of additional explosives, killed himself, and claimed five more lives. He had also murdered his wife, slaughtered several farm animals, and set his farmhouse ablaze. A chilling note left on his fence read, “Criminals are made, not born.”

Despite the sheer horror, the tragedy faded from the national spotlight within weeks. Charles Lindbergh’s historic solo transatlantic flight concluded just three days later, dominating headlines across the United States. Some historians argue that had Kehoe targeted a bank or another high‑profile institution, his actions might have been remembered alongside other infamous domestic attacks.

6 An Assassination in Marseille

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, a celebrated hero of the Balkan Wars and World War I, became regent in 1918 and formally ascended the throne in 1922. His reign was marked by attempts to unify a fractious nation, but also by fierce opposition from Croatian separatists. On October 9, 1934, while on a diplomatic visit to Marseille, France, Alexander was assassinated by Vlado Chernozemski, a Croatian nationalist linked to the group that had killed his predecessors in 1903.

The assassination holds the distinction of being the first terrorist act captured on film – predating even the infamous Zapruder footage of President Kennedy’s murder by three decades. According to a Columbia University study, Adolf Hitler reportedly replayed the footage repeatedly, studying the French police’s delayed response as evidence of a nation’s weak character. The murder arguably set off a chain reaction that emboldened fascist leaders like Mussolini and Hitler to press further into the Balkans, sowing seeds that would later blossom into World War II.

5 Ford Motor Protests

The Great Depression sparked a surge in labor activism, and Henry Ford’s empire proved especially ruthless. Harry Bennett, Ford’s feared “right‑hand man,” was notorious for crushing union activity. On March 7, 1932, roughly 3,000 unemployed Ford workers embarked on the “Ford Hunger March” toward Dearborn, Michigan. Bennett’s men opened fire – even resorting to machine‑gun fire – turning the demonstration into what became known as the Ford Massacre. Four marchers, including two teenagers, were killed; dozens more suffered injuries, some while still confined to hospital beds.

Undeterred, workers continued their struggle. On May 26, 1937, United Auto Workers activists, aided by the Women’s Auxiliary, distributed leaflets at the Miller Road overpass in Dearborn. Bennett again descended on the scene, beating protesters, breaking a man’s back, and even assaulting journalists. However, photographer James Kilpatrick managed to hide unexposed film, later revealing the brutality in stark images that swung public opinion toward the workers. Within four years, Ford’s workforce secured official union recognition.

4 The Lustgarten Attack

While the Holocaust narrative often portrays Jews solely as victims, there were moments of armed resistance. On May 18, 1942, a primarily Jewish resistance cell called the Baum Gruppe, led by Herbert Baum, set fire to an art exhibition in Berlin’s Lustgarten that glorified the Soviet Union – a display dubbed “Soviet Paradise.” The arson, carried out by mostly youthful members, was largely ineffective; the exhibit reopened the following day.

The Nazi response was swift and brutal. Approximately 500 Jews were arrested, many of whom were summarily executed. The New York Times reported that 258 prisoners were shot. The Gestapo even attempted a propaganda spin, claiming that Baum had committed suicide in his cell rather than being executed. The episode starkly illustrates how one group’s terrorist act could be framed as a heroic act of resistance, while the oppressor painted the perpetrators as criminals.

3 The Machertos

Puerto Rico’s quest for independence has sparked a series of violent confrontations on the mainland United States. On March 1, 1954, members of a pro‑independence faction stormed the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five congressmen. Between 1974 and 1981, the Armed Forces of National Liberation carried out roughly 100 bombings across the country, the deadliest being a January 1975 attack on Fraunces Tavern in Lower Manhattan that killed four and injured 53.

The late 1970s saw the Machertos, a radical Puerto Rican group, target U.S. military installations. On July 14, 1980, they destroyed four Federal Aviation Administration and Coast Guard navigation sites, disrupting Latin American air traffic. Their most audacious strike came on January 16, 1981, when they infiltrated the Muniz Air National Guard Base, demolishing eight fighter jets and disabling two more. No casualties occurred, but the estimated $45 million in damages underscored the group’s capacity for high‑impact sabotage, a legacy still cited by advocates of Puerto Rican statehood.

2 FLQ Attacks

In the early 1960s, Quebec’s separatist movement birthed the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), a militant group determined to eradicate British influence from Canada. Though founded by Belgian revolutionary Georges Schoeters, the FLQ quickly amassed a roster of bombers, delivering explosives to government buildings, mailboxes, and later to businesses employing striking workers. One member, Pierre Paul Geoffroy, pleaded guilty to participation in 31 bombings. The Globe and Mail recorded that the first six years of the campaign resulted in five deaths and one serious injury.

The FLQ’s most infamous episode unfolded in 1970, when they escalated to kidnappings, snatching British diplomat James Cross and Quebec Deputy Premier Pierre Laporte. In response, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act, suspending civil liberties in what became known as the October Crisis. While Cross survived, Laporte’s body was recovered in a trunk. The heavy-handed government crackdown, coupled with infiltration by intelligence agents, effectively dismantled the FLQ by 1976.

1 Inn Din

Southeast Asia’s humanitarian crises often slip under the global radar. In 2017, over 690,000 Rohingya fled Bangladesh for the relative safety of Myanmar, yet the world largely ignored their plight. The 2014 Bangladesh census even omitted Rohingya entirely, reflecting deep‑seated official hostility. When reports emerged of paramilitary forces perpetrating atrocities against the Rohingya, international attention finally sparked.

On September 1, 2018, ten Rohingya men from the coastal village of Inn Din were arrested, forced to watch as neighbors excavated a mass grave, and then executed the following morning. The same paramilitary unit proceeded to loot cattle, seize vehicles, and torch homes throughout the area. Authorities claimed the victims were members of a 200‑person terrorist cell that had attacked the town, a narrative vehemently denied by local civilians who insisted the men were merely seeking shelter on a beach. Reuters journalists investigating the massacre were themselves detained, underscoring the peril faced by those attempting to document the violence.

Dustin Koski highly recommends Jonathan “Bogleech” Wojcik’s novel Return of the Living, a speculative tale set centuries after Earth has been abandoned.

As another September rolls around, the world is reminded of the tragedy that shook us 19 years ago. The memory of that day still lingers, and each year people share where they were when the world seemed to tilt. In the midst of that sorrow, the spirit of 10 patriots heroes shines through – ordinary people who rose to extraordinary heights when terror struck.

10 Mumbai Terrorist Attack

10 Patriots Heroes Spotlight

“It was my responsibility… I may have been the youngest person in the room, but I was still doing my job.” On 26 November 2008, ten Lashkar‑e‑Taiba gunmen slipped into Mumbai from Pakistan via a hijacked fishing trawler, killing four crew members, slashing the captain’s throat and dumping the bodies overboard. Once ashore, they split into three squads, stormed multiple sites and unleashed a four‑day carnage that left more than 170 dead, over 300 wounded and nine attackers killed. The lone survivor was executed on 21 November 2012.

One of the targets was the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel. Inside, a banquet for Unilever executives was being run by roughly 35 Taj staff. When the first explosions sounded, guests initially thought fireworks, but the banquet manager, 24‑year‑old Mallika Jagad, instantly recognized the danger. She calmly instructed everyone to duck beneath the tables, separated couples, and urged them to keep phones off, turning the dining room into a quiet sanctuary amid the chaos.

Jagad later explained that, despite being the youngest in the room, she felt compelled to keep doing her job, placing the safety of her guests above all else. Her swift, decisive actions meant that more than 60 diners escaped the inferno unscathed, a testament to her composure under fire.

Her quick thinking and leadership saved the lives of over sixty people, turning a night of terror into a story of quiet heroism.

9 Pulse Gay Nightclub Shooting

“He helped so many people. My son! A hero!” While the Pulse nightclub in Orlando buzzed with dance beats on 12 June 2016, an unimaginable tragedy unfolded. A 29‑year‑old gunman, Omar Mateen, stormed the venue, opening fire and leaving 49 dead and 53 wounded before being killed after a three‑hour standoff. He claimed the attack was retaliation for the US strike on Abu Waheeb in Iraq, and the FBI classified it as a terrorist act.

Amid the chaos, several patrons and staff leapt into action. Bouncer Imran Yousuf, whose Marine Corps training kicked in, guided more than 60 trapped clubgoers to safety, shielding them from the gunfire. Others, such as Ray Rivera, Joshua McGill and Christopher Hansen, also risked everything to protect strangers.

Christopher Hansen’s bravery stood out. Though it was his first night at Pulse, he tore off his bandana and used it as a tourniquet for a man shot in the back, then stayed by a woman with a gunshot wound to the arm until paramedics arrived. His self‑less care exemplified true heroism.

Hansen’s father later posted on Facebook, “I am so proud of my son. Both as a man, and as a gay man. He helped so many people. My son! A hero! Amidst all the tragedy, helping others.” Their stories echo the courage that shines even in darkest moments.

8 French Terrorist Attack

“He was concentrating on me; in that moment he could not kill people.” Just a month after Orlando, terror struck the French Riviera. On 14 July 2016, during Bastille Day celebrations on Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, a 19‑tonne cargo truck barreled into the crowd, killing 86 and injuring 458. The driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej‑Bouhlel, a Tunisian resident of France, was later shot dead by police, with ISIS claiming responsibility.

Franck Terrier, an airport worker, was on his motorcycle with his wife, stopping for ice‑cream when the truck roared past. Seeing the carnage, he leapt onto his bike, chased the vehicle, clung to its door and pounded the driver’s head and face with all his might. The attacker tried to fire his gun, but it jammed, and he struck Franck with the weapon, causing Franck to fall and break a rib.

Terrier later said his priority was protecting his son, who was further down the promenade. His brave interference distracted the driver long enough to save additional lives. Both he and fellow hero Gwenaël Leriche received medals from the City of Nice for their courageous actions.

7 Boston Marathon Bombing

“I know exactly when my life changed: when I looked into the face of Tamerlan Tsarnaev.” On 15 April 2013, two pressure‑cooker bombs exploded near the marathon’s finish line, killing three, injuring hundreds and causing 17 amputations. Chaos erupted, but amid the panic, numerous ordinary citizens turned into instant heroes.

Carlos Arredondo, Devin Wang and Paul Mitchell rushed to the side of Jeff Bauman, who had lost both legs, providing critical aid that helped keep him alive. Their quick response saved his life and later enabled Bauman to aid investigators in identifying one of the bombers.

Even exhausted marathon runners sprang into action, abandoning their victory runs to tend to the wounded, some racing to Mass General Hospital to donate blood. Dr. Allan Panter, who had been waiting for his wife at the finish line, immediately tended to an injured woman, keeping her airway open and controlling bleeding until paramedics arrived.

6 Berlin Terrorist Attack

2016 saw a surge of Islamist terror across Europe, with attacks in Brussels, Nice, Germany and Normandy. Six days before Christmas, Berlin’s bustling Christmas market beside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was alive with shoppers browsing crafts. Suddenly, a massive truck, driven by Anis Amri—a failed asylum seeker who had killed the original driver, Lukasz Urban—hurtled into the crowd, killing 12 and wounding 56.

The carnage shocked the city, but the story didn’t end there. Luca Scata, a rookie Milan police officer with just nine months of service, tracked Amri to Italy four days later. When Scata and his partner attempted to search Amri’s backpack, the attacker drew a gun and wounded Scata’s partner in the shoulder.

Without hesitation, Scata fired back, striking Amri and ending the spree. At the time, Amri was Europe’s most‑wanted terrorist; Scata’s decisive action earned him hero status across the continent.

5 Nairobi Terrorist Attack

“What he did was so heroic… he went back in 12 times and saved 100 people.” On 21 September 2013, Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall bustled with shoppers when a group of masked gunmen stormed in, opening fire and tossing grenades. The assault, claimed by al‑Shabaab in retaliation for Kenya’s deployment to Somalia, left 71 dead, 200 injured and parts of the mall ablaze.

Amid the mayhem, an unnamed former Royal Marine emerged as a beacon of hope. Armed only with a handgun, he shepherded terrified shoppers to safety, repeatedly re‑entering the burning mall—twelve times in total—to pull out as many as possible, ultimately rescuing at least a hundred lives.

For security reasons, his identity remains concealed, but his selfless bravery stands as a shining example of ordinary courage in extraordinary circumstances.

4 Ariana Grande Concert Attack

“I ran into the bomb. I still don’t know to this day why I did it.” On the night of 22 May 2017, Manchester’s arena was packed with 14,000 fans eagerly awaiting Ariana Grande’s concert. As the show ended, a homemade shrapnel‑filled bomb detonated, killing 23 and wounding over 800.

Among the chaos, Daren Buckley, who had attended the concert with his son Lewis, first ensured his child’s safety. He then raced back into the blast zone, snatching nearby t‑shirts and using them to staunch the bleeding of injured concertgoers, staying on scene until police secured the area.

Buckley later admitted he “ran into the bomb” without fully understanding why, yet his instinctive drive to help saved countless lives. An ongoing public inquiry continues to examine security, planning and response measures surrounding the tragedy.

3 Paris Siege

“He was calm and in charge.” On 13 November 2015, Paris endured a coordinated wave of attacks across six locations, including the Bataclan concert hall, Stade de France and a fast‑food restaurant, leaving 130 dead and hundreds wounded. Roughly 12,000 emergency, military and security personnel flooded the city to respond.

Amid the gunfire at the Bataclan, 35‑year‑old Algerian security guard Didi sprang into action. He surged forward, urging terrified patrons to follow him, opening doors and guiding them toward exits while shouting clear instructions. His composure under fire gave people a sense of safety amid the terror.

Those who heeded his lead later told reporters that Didi’s calm demeanor and decisive direction made all the difference. In recognition of his heroism, France granted him citizenship in 2016.

2 Unsung Heroes

On 7 July 2005, London was shaken by a series of coordinated suicide bombings on the Underground and a double‑decker bus, killing 52 and injuring hundreds. While the attackers perished, countless ordinary citizens rose to the occasion, offering aid and comfort amid the rubble.

Among them, Cp Capt Craig Staniforth kept injured John Tulloch awake by chatting about their children, preventing him from slipping into a fatal coma. Suhel Boodi, despite never having performed CPR, followed a fellow commuter’s instructions to try saving Laura Webb. Steven Desborough comforted Carrie Taylor in her final moments while encouraging others trapped beneath debris. Teacher Tim Coulson smashed through a carriage to reach Michael Brewster, doing everything within his power to help.

1 9/11

“Stop crying. I have to get these people out safely.” The September 11 attacks forever scarred the United States, sparking a flood of conspiracy theories about inside jobs and missile strikes. Yet, amid the devastation, countless heroes emerged, refusing to let terror win.

Twenty‑four‑year‑old Welles Crowther left his mother a voicemail saying he was okay, then raced into the smoke‑filled towers. He carried a woman down fifteen floors, returned to the 78th‑floor sky lobby and assisted firefighters, ultimately perishing alongside them in a stairwell.

Two former Marines, Jason Thomas and Dave Karnes, donned their uniforms again to scour the rubble, locating two survivors still clinging to life. On American Airlines Flight 11, two flight attendants maintained composure, relaying crucial information that helped the FBI confirm al‑Qaeda’s involvement.

Perhaps the most celebrated hero was Rick Rescorla, a former soldier turned security chief for Morgan Stanley. He sang songs to keep evacuees calm, shepherding over 2,700 people to safety before the South Tower collapsed. In his final call, he told his wife to stop crying, insisting he needed to get people out. His body was never recovered, but his legacy endures.