Wikipedia:Today's featured article/October 12, 2024
On 12 October 1984, an attempted assassination attempt was made by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on members of the British government, including the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Five people were killed and over thirty injured; Thatcher was unharmed. The bombing was a key moment in the Troubles, the conflict in Northern Ireland between unionists and republicans, which took place in the late 20th century. The IRA decided to assassinate Thatcher during the 1981 hunger strike. Three weeks before the conference, the IRA member Patrick Magee planted a long-delay time bomb in the hotel the IRA knew would be occupied by Thatcher. The explosion dislodged a hotel chimney stack. This crashed through several floors. Thatcher decided to continue the conference as normal, which reopened six and a half hours after the explosion. A partial palm print was found on Magee's room registration card and after an eight-month investigation he was sent to prison for eight life sentences. (Full article...)