7 June 1967

Six-Day War: Israeli soldiers enter Jerusalem.

The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or the Third Arab-Israeli War, was a conflict fought between June 5 and June 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt (known then as the United Arab Republic), Jordan, and Syria.

Causes and Background

Political Tensions: The war’s origins can be traced back to the political tension between Israel and the Arab countries, particularly Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. The conflict was fueled by territorial disputes, refugee issues, and the broader Arab-Israeli conflict.
Blockade of the Straits of Tiran: In May 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the blockade of the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, which Israel considered a casus belli (justification for war).
Mobilization and Alliances: Egypt mobilized its military forces in the Sinai Peninsula. Jordan and Syria also began military mobilizations, and a defense pact was signed between Egypt and Jordan.

Course of the War

Preemptive Air Strikes: On June 5, 1967, Israel launched Operation Focus, a series of preemptive airstrikes that targeted Egyptian airfields. The Israeli Air Force achieved air superiority by destroying the majority of the Egyptian Air Force while it was still on the ground.
Sinai Peninsula: Israeli ground forces moved swiftly into the Sinai Peninsula, defeating Egyptian forces and advancing to the Suez Canal.
West Bank and East Jerusalem: Israel engaged Jordanian forces in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, ultimately capturing these territories.
Golan Heights: On June 9 and 10, Israeli forces attacked Syrian positions in the Golan Heights, eventually capturing the territory.

Outcomes and Consequences

Territorial Changes: Israel gained control of the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and the Golan Heights. These territorial acquisitions significantly changed the political and geographic landscape of the region.
Casualties and Displacement: The war resulted in significant casualties on both sides, with thousands of soldiers and civilians killed. It also led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Syrians.
Political Impact: The war had a profound impact on Arab-Israeli relations. It demonstrated Israel’s military capability, leading to a shift in the balance of power in the Middle East. The war also laid the groundwork for future conflicts and peace negotiations.
UN Resolution 242: In November 1967, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 242, calling for the “withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict” and the “termination of all claims or states of belligerency.”

Legacy

The Six-Day War is considered a pivotal event in Middle Eastern history. It reshaped the region’s borders and had lasting implications for Arab-Israeli relations, influencing subsequent conflicts, peace processes, and the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East. The territories captured by Israel during the war remain central issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and broader Arab-Israeli peace efforts.

18 January 1967

Albert DeSalvo, the “Boston Strangler”, is convicted of numerous crimes and is sentenced to life imprisonment.

Albert DeSalvo was an American serial killer who gained notoriety as the “Boston Strangler” for a series of murders that occurred in the Boston area during the early 1960s. The killings were characterized by a pattern of sexual assault and strangulation, and the victims were primarily women. The case became one of the most infamous unsolved mysteries in American criminal history until DeSalvo’s confession.

DeSalvo was born on September 3, 1931, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He had a troubled childhood and a history of criminal activity, including burglary and sexual offenses. In 1964, he was arrested for a series of non-lethal sexual assaults, and while in custody, he began confessing to the Boston Strangler murders.

DeSalvo claimed responsibility for the murders of 13 women between 1962 and 1964. However, there was significant skepticism regarding the accuracy of his confessions. Some investigators and experts believed that DeSalvo might have confessed to crimes he did not commit in order to gain notoriety. The lack of concrete evidence linking him to the murders further fueled doubts.

DeSalvo was never tried for the Boston Strangler murders. Instead, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his other criminal activities. He was murdered in prison in 1973, reportedly by a fellow inmate. The uncertainty surrounding the Boston Strangler case has persisted over the years, and some still question whether DeSalvo was truly responsible for all the murders attributed to the Boston Strangler or if the killer remains unidentified. Advances in forensic technology have allowed for reevaluation of evidence, but as of my knowledge cutoff in January 2022, the case remains officially unsolved.

9 March 1967

Trans World Airlines Flight 553 crashes in a field in Concord Township, Ohio following a mid-air collision with a Beechcraft Baron, killing 26 people.

Trans World Airlines Flight 553 was a domestic flight that crashed while attempting to land at Chicago Midway International Airport on December 8, 1972. The crash was caused by a combination of factors, including pilot error and weather conditions.

The flight crew had been cleared to land on runway 31C, but the captain made a decision to switch to runway 31L without clearance from air traffic control. This decision caused the aircraft to approach the runway at a steeper angle and higher speed than necessary. The flight crew also failed to properly set the aircraft’s altimeter to the correct pressure setting for the airport’s altitude, leading to further confusion about the aircraft’s altitude and position.

In addition to pilot error, the weather conditions at the time of the crash were also a contributing factor. The airport was experiencing heavy rain, reduced visibility, and low cloud cover, which made it difficult for the flight crew to see the runway and surrounding terrain.

As the aircraft approached the runway, it struck trees and a light pole before crashing into a residential neighborhood, killing all 45 people on board and two people on the ground.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation determined that the cause of the crash was the flight crew’s decision to switch runways without clearance and their failure to properly set the altimeter. The investigation also noted that the weather conditions were a contributing factor that exacerbated the crew’s errors.