March 20, sarin gas attack in Tokyo subway

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Welcome to Thursday, March 20, 2025! It is the 79th day of the year, with 286 days remaining.

Historical Events on This Day:

On March 20, 1995, a tragic event unfolded in Tokyo as members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult unleashed a terror attack by releasing sarin gas on five subway trains, resulting in 14 deaths and over 1,000 injuries.

Other notable events on this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte made a dramatic return to Paris after escaping exile on Elba, marking the beginning of his “Hundred Days” rule.

Fast forward to 1852, the influential novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe was published in book form, becoming a best-selling work that shed light on the horrors of slavery.

Additionally, in 1854, the Republican Party of the United States was established by anti-slavery activists in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Jumping ahead to 1976, Patricia Hearst, the kidnapped newspaper heiress, was convicted of armed robbery for her involvement in a San Francisco bank heist orchestrated by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

On a medical front, in 1987, azidothymidine (AZT) became the first FDA-approved medication for treating HIV/AIDS.

Turning to the legal realm, in 1996, Erik and Lyle Menendez were found guilty of first-degree murder in the killings of their parents, receiving life sentences without parole.

In more recent times, in 2014, President Barack Obama imposed economic sanctions on key figures in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and a major supporting bank in response to the Ukraine crisis.

On a diplomatic note, in 2018, President Donald Trump controversially congratulated Vladimir Putin on his re-election victory in a phone call, despite warnings against doing so in briefing materials.