1972: Parcel bomb attack on Israeli embassy

A diplomat at the Israeli embassy in London has been killed by a letter bomb.
Dr Ami Sachori received severe chest and stomach injuries when the device exploded at 0930 GMT and died on the way to hospital.

Eight bombs were addressed to diplomats at the embassy, but three were detected in the consulate post room and four others were intercepted at a sorting office in Earl's Court.

Palestinian extremist group Black September is thought to have posted the letters. Some were also sent to the Israeli embassy in Paris, sparking a worldwide security alert.

Scotland Yard said the devices - contained in manila envelopes only a little bulkier than normal letters - all originated in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

'Soft target'

A note in one of the packages appeared to implicate the Arab faction which murdered nine Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games two weeks ago.

Dr Sachori, who was due to return to Israel in a fortnight's time, was the agricultural counsel at the embassy.

An embassy spokesman, Eli Tabori, said he was a "soft target".

"This man had nothing to do with the political side of the embassy - he was here to promote Israeli agricultural exports and because of the unsuspecting nature of his job he was probably singled out," he said.

The Israeli Ambassador, Michael Comay, told the BBC it was much easier for extremist groups to attack in Europe.

"They take advantage of the free and democratic traditions of your open society and your hospitality to carry out their deeds," he said.

Bombs posted
Israel (14)
London (8)
Ottawa (6)
Argentina (5)
Vienna (5)
New York (3)
Geneva (3)
Kinshasa (3)
Paris (2)
Montreal (1)
Brussels (1)

Swptember 20 1565: First European Battle on American Soil

Spanish forces under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés capture the French Huguenot settlement of Fort Caroline,
near present-day Jacksonville, Florida.
The French, commanded by Rene Goulaine de Laudonniere,
lost 135 men in the first instance of colonial warfare between European powers in America.
Most of those killed were massacred on the order of Aviles, who allegedly had the slain hanged on trees beside the inscription
"Not as Frenchmen, but as heretics."
Laudonniere and some 40 other Huguenots escaped.

September 21, 1780 : Benedict Arnold commits treason

On this day in 1780, during the American Revolution, American General
Benedict Arnold meets with British Major John Andre to discuss handing
over West Point to the British, in return for the promise of a large
sum of money and a high position in the British army. The plot was
foiled and Arnold, a former American hero, became synonymous with the
word "traitor."

Arnold was born into a well-respected family in Norwich, Connecticut,
on January 14, 1741. He apprenticed with an apothecary and was a
member of the militia during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). He
later became a successful trader and joined the Continental Army when
the Revolutionary War broke out between Great Britain and its 13
American colonies in 1775. When the war ended in 1883, the colonies
had won their independence from Britain and formed a new nation, the
United States.

During the war, Benedict Arnold proved himself a brave and skillful
leader, helping Ethan Allen's troops capture Fort Ticonderoga in 1775
and then participating in the unsuccessful attack on British Quebec
later that year, which earned him a promotion to brigadier general.
Arnold distinguished himself in campaigns at Lake Champlain,
Ridgefield and Saratoga, and gained the support of George Washington.
However, Arnold had enemies within the military and in 1777, five men
of lesser rank were promoted over him. Over the course of the next few
years, Arnold married for a second time and he and his new wife lived
a lavish lifestyle in Philadelphia, accumulating substantial debt. The
debt and the resentment Arnold felt over not being promoted faster
were motivating factors in his choice to become a turncoat.


In 1780, Arnold was given command of West Point, an American fort on
the Hudson River in New York (and future home of the U.S. military
academy, established in 1802). Arnold contacted Sir Henry Clinton,
head of the British forces, and proposed handing over West Point and
his men. On September 21 of that year, Arnold met with Major John
Andre and made his traitorous pact. However, the conspiracy was
uncovered and Andre was captured and executed. Arnold, the former
American patriot, fled to the enemy side and went on to lead British
troops in Virginia and Connecticut. He later moved to England, though
he never received all of what he'd been promised by the British. He
died in London on June 14, 1801.

1955: New TV channel ends BBC monopoly

Britain's first independent television station is on air, ending the 18-year monopoly of the BBC and bringing advertisements to the airwaves for the first time.
The new Independent Television Authority (ITA) began its broadcasts with live coverage of a ceremony at the Guildhall marking the start of Britain's first-ever commercially-funded television station.

Among the speakers was the Postmaster General, Charles Hill. The Post Office is working with the ITA to provide the service, and he was quick to address concerns over advertisements.

"We shall not be bothered by a violinist stopping in the middle of his solo to advise us of his favourite brand of cigarettes," he said, "nor indeed will Hamlet interrupt his soliloquy to tell us of the favourite brand of toothpaste ordinarily used at Elsinore."

After the Guildhall banquet, the main programmes got under way.

First advertisement

They included a variety show, half an hour of drama excerpts starring Sir John Gielgud, Alec Guinness and Kay Hammond, and a boxing match.

There was a final news bulletin and cabaret before the final five-minute religious programme, Epilogue, which ended the service at 2300 BST.

The first advertisement came a little more than an hour into the schedule, during the variety show.

Viewers saw a tube of Gibbs SR toothpaste in a block of ice, with a voiceover pronouncing it a "tingling fresh toothpaste" for teeth and gums.

There were another 23 advertisements during the evening, promoting products from Cadbury's chocolate to Esso petrol.

BBC under pressure

The BBC broadcast "The Donald Duck Story", profiling the Walt Disney cartoon character.

The Corporation is already coming under huge pressure as a result of the new competition from the ITA.

It is looking into the possibility of a quiz show, similar to the ITA's "Double Your Money" hosted by Hughie Green, prompting fears that the arrival of the ITA will cause a slide into lower-standard, populist programming.

Competition is also driving up costs: bidding wars have begun for artistes who before were forced to accept BBC wages. At the same time, the price of popular American imports such as "I Love Lucy" and "Dragnet" has risen from a few hundred pounds up to several thousand.

On September 22 1961:
Antonio Albertondo (Argentina) at 42, completes 1st "double" crossing swim of English Channel in 43 hrs 10 min