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List of terrorist incidents

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
16 min read
Source updated September 13, 2026

The following is a list of terrorist incidents that were not carried out by a state or its forces (see state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism). Assassinations are presented in List of assassinations and unsuccessful attempts at List of people who survived assassination attempts and List of heads of state and government who survived assassination attempts.

Definitions of terrorism vary, so incidents listed here are restricted to those that are notable and described as "terrorism" by a consensus of reliable sources.

Scholars dispute what might be called terrorism in earlier periods. The modern sense of terrorism emerged in the mid-19th century.

011800-1899

Date Type Dead Injured Location Details Perpetrator Part of
1865, 1877 Murders Approx. 3,000 Several Southern United States Approximately 3,000 Freedmen and their Republican Party allies are killed in well-organized campaigns of violence by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists in a campaign of terrorist violence that weakened the reconstructionist governments in the Southern United States and helped re-establish legitimized segregation. Ku Klux Klan Reconstruction Era
1878-1885 Bombings, arson, shootings 0 5 (4 heavy) Montceau-les-Mines region, France Montceau-les-Mines troubles. After the repression of a miner's strike, groups of numerous anarchist and inspired by anarchism miners organized themselves into the Black Band(s) and carried out dozens of acts of propaganda of the deed in the following years, the majority between 1882 and 1885. Black Band(s), Black International (?) propaganda of the deed
16 Jun 1881 Bombing 0 0 Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France An anarchist 'French Revolutionary Committee' placed bombs in small boxes around the statue of Adolphe Thiers, a significant political figure and responsible for the massacres of the Paris Commune ten years prior. The bombs encountered technical issues. First clear propaganda of the deed attack in France. French anarchists, Black International (?)
1881, 1885 0 (+3) 98 United Kingdom Fenian dynamite campaign. Irish Republican Brotherhood
23 Oct 1882 1 10+ Lyon, France Assommoir bombing. First deadly anarchist attack in France. Fanny Madignier and 2 other anarchists, Black International (?) propaganda of the deed
5 March 1886 0 1 Paris, France Paris Stock Exchange bombing. A French anarchist entered the Paris Stock Exchange, threw a bomb that didn't explode, and began firing at traders. Charles Gallo
4 May 1886 7 (+4) 160+ Chicago, United States Haymarket Affair. A peaceful rally in Haymarket, Chicago, Illinois, was disrupted when a bomb was detonated as police were dispersing the public demonstration. FOTLU propaganda of the deed or state terrorism
5-6 July 1887 0 0 Paris, France Berthe bombing. The store of a landlord in conflict with anarchists explodes in the middle of the night. Paolo Chiericotti (?), Vittorio Pini (?), Intransigents of London and Paris (?) propaganda of the deed
1888, 1889 1 Anarchist bombing campaign of 1888-1889 targeting employment agencies at night (in order to avoid civilian casualties) Placide Schouppe (?), Intransigents of London and Paris (?)
29 Feb 1892 0 An anarchist in France bombs an elite residence in the Rue Saint Dominique. Anarchist in France Ère des attentats
7 Mar 1892 1 Saint-Germain bombing. Start of the Ère des attentats. Ravachol, Cookie, Mariette, Béala
15 Mar 1892 0 Lobau bombing. Théodule Meunier
27 Mar 1892 7 French anarchist Ravachol bombs the house of prosecutor Bulot, after the trial of the accused of the Clichy Affair. Ravachol, Cookie, Mariette, Béala
25 Apr 1892 2 1 French anarchists Meunier, François and Bricout bomb the café Le Very, targeting the owner, who denounced Ravachol to the police. He is killed in the explosion. Pieds plats
8 Nov 1892 5 0 French anarchists Émile Henry and Adrienne Chailliey bomb a police station. Émile Henry, Adrienne Chailliey
7 Nov 1893 20-30 27-35 Barcelona, Spain Catalan anarchist Santiago Salvador bombs the Liceu theater. Considered the first instance of 'indiscriminate terrorism'. Founding event for modern terrorism. Santiago Salvador propaganda of the deed
13 Nov 1893 Stabbing 0 1 Paris, France French anarchist Léon Léauthier stabs one Rista Georgevitch simply because he 'looked bourgeois'. Considered one of the first instances of 'indiscriminate terrorism'. Founding event for modern terrorism. Léon Léauthier Ère des attentats
9 Dec 1893 Bombing 20 National Assembly bombing. 0 deaths and dozens of lightly injured people. Auguste Vaillant
12 Feb 1894 1 17 French anarchist Émile Henry bombs Café Terminus. Considered one of the first instances of 'indiscriminate terrorism'. Émile Henry
20 Feb 1894 Bombings 1 Belgian anarchist Pauwels attacks the authorities in the 20 February bombings. Désiré Pauwels
15 Mar 1894 Bombing 0 Belgian anarchist Pauwels attacks the Madeleine church in the Madeleine bombing. He dies during the attempt. Désiré Pauwels
4 Apr 1894 0 4+ Either the French or the Russian states commit a provocation by bombing a restaurant in Paris, trying to capitalize on the troubles of the Ère des attentats. French state or Okhrana
19 May 1894 Stabbing 1 Marseille, France 1894 Marseille stabbing by French anarchist Célestin Nat to avenge Henry. Célestin Nat
26 Aug 1896 Hijacking 10+ 0 Constantinople, Ottoman Empire Occupation of the Ottoman Bank by Armenian Revolutionary Federation members in protest of the Hamidian massacres. A resulting anti-Armenian pogrom killed around 6,000 individuals. Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Number of terrorist incidents worldwide
Number of terrorist incidents worldwide

021900-1929

Date Type Dead Injured Location Details Perpetrator Part of
28 April, 1 May 1903 Bombings 0 (+4) Thessaloniki, Ottoman Empire Members of the Boatmen of Thessaloniki, a Bulgarian anarchist group, carried out a series of bombings in Thessaloniki. Boatmen of Thessaloniki
18 May 1904 Kidnapping 0 2 kidnapped Tangier, Morocco Perdicaris affair: Ion Perdicaris and Cromwell Varley were kidnapped and held for ransom by bandit Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli in Morocco. Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli
1 February 1905 Bombing 2 Paris, France A bomb is sent towards the Republican Guard during an anti-Tsarist leftist protest. Jean-Pierre François, who was near the explosion, was arrested, but was freed for failure to provide proofs. Jean-Pierre François (?) (Freed and not convicted)
31 May 1905 21 Rohan bombing. 24 people injured when a Catalan anarchist (?) bombed Alfonso XIII of Spain. Aviño/Alexandre Farras (?)
21 July 1905 21 58 Constantinople, Ottoman Empire Abdul Hamid II assassination attempt in Yıldız. A group composed of Armenian revolutionaries (Sophie Areshian, Martiros Margarian) and anarchists (Edward Joris, Anna Nellens) tries to bomb sultan Abdul Hamid II. Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) / Anarchists
31 May 1906 24 Several Madrid, Spain Morral affair. 24 people were killed when terrorist bombed the Royal Couple, Alfonso XIII of Spain and Victoria Eugenie, on their wedding day. Mateo del Morral
25 August 1906 28 Several Aptekarsky Island, Russia 28 people were killed when three terrorists bombed a reception in an attempt to assassinate Pyotr Stolypin. Union of Socialists-Revolutionaries-Maximalists
11-12 July 1908 1 23 Malmö, Sweden Night between 11 and 12 July: Bombing of the boat Amalthea where British strikebreakers lived by Anton Nilsson One was killed and 23 wounded. Anton Nilsson
1 October 1910 21 105+ Los Angeles, United States Los Angeles Times bombing killed 21 people and wounded over 100 others. John J. McNamara and James B. McNamara
28 June 1914 Various 2 16-22 Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austrian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. As the Archduke's car approached the third assassin after the others failed to act, the bomb bounced off the Archduke's car and exploded the car behind him, injuring 16-20 people. Later, as the Archduke's car turned a wrong corner, assassin Gavrilo Princip shot dead the Archduke and his wife in their car. This resulted in the July Crisis, and World War I. Gavrilo Princip (with the Black Hand) Prelude to World War I
22 July 1916 Bombing 10 40 San Francisco, United States Preparedness Day Bombing was a bombing in San Francisco, California, on 22 July 1916, when the city held a parade in anticipation of the United States' entry into World War I. During the parade, a suitcase bomb was detonated, killing ten and wounding forty. Galleanist Anarchists (suspected)
30 July 1916 7 Hundreds Jersey City, United States Black Tom explosion was a planned detonation of a munitions factory at Black Tom Island in the neutral United States by Imperial German Agents that killed four and injured hundreds, as well as causing millions of dollars in damages. Imperial German Agents World War I
16 September 1920 40 143+ New York City, United States Wall Street bombing killed 40 people and wounded over 143 others. Galleanist Anarchists (suspected) Red Scare
14 October 1920 Bombings 1 10 Trieste, Italy In Trieste, nationalists threw six bombs at the editorial office of a socialist newspaper, resulting in one death and ten injuries. Italian Nationalists
15 October 1920 0 2 Milan, Italy In Milan, anarchists were responsible for throwing two bombs at a hotel holding a British delegation attending the Milan International Conference; there were two injuries. Anarchists
8 December 1920 Bombing 3 3 Bucharest, Romania A bomb placed by a left-wing terrorist group blows up in the Romanian Senate, killing the Minister of Justice and two other senators. The President of the Senate and two Orthodox bishops were severely injured. Max Goldstein, Leon Lichtblau and Saul Ozias
31 May 1921 Riot 39-300 800+ Tulsa, United States The Tulsa race massacre killed at least 39 people and injured over 800. Ku Klux Klan
13 December 1921 Bombing 100 Bolgrad, Romania The Bolgrad palace bombing occurred when a bomb thrown by Bessarabian separatists at the Bolgrad palace, killed 100 soldiers and police officers. Bessarabian separatists Union of Bessarabia with Romania
16 April 1925 Bombing 150 ~500 Sofia, Bulgaria St Nedelya Church assault, The Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP) blew up the church's roof during the funeral service of General Konstantin Georgiev, who had been killed in a previous Communist assault on 14 April. 150 people, mainly from the country's political and military elite, were killed in the attack and around 500 were injured. Bulgarian Communist Party

031930-1949

Date Type Dead Injured Location Details Perpetrator Part of
9 October 1934 Assassination by shooting 2 (+1) Marseille, France During a state visit to France, King Alexander I of Yugoslavia was fatally shot by the Bulgarian IMRO assassin Vlado Chernozemski. In the ensuing scuffle with local police, French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou was accidentally killed by a stray bullet, while Chernozemski was beaten and later died from his injuries. Vlado Chernozemski (on behalf of IMRO)
3 March 1940 Arson 5 5 Luleå, Sweden Politically motivated arson attack targeted at the communist newspaper Norrskensflamman (Northern Flame) by various perpetrators. 5 people were killed, 2 of which were children, along with 5 others injured. Norrbottens-Kuriren
4 July 1940 Bombing 2 0 New York City, United States Time bomb is recovered from the British Pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair, two NYPD policemen were killed. Unknown
1940-1956 Serial bombings 0 15 New York City, United States George Metesky, the "Mad Bomber", places over 30 bombs in New York City in public places such as Grand Central Terminal and The Paramount Theater, injuring ten during this period, in protest against the local electric utility. He also sends many threatening letters. George Metesky
22 July 1946 Bombing 91 46 Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine The King David Hotel bombing by Zionist paramilitary group Irgun kills 91 and injures 46 non-fatally. Irgun Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine
25 July 1947 Airliner hijacking 1 0 Romania Three Romanian terrorists kill an aircrew member aboard a Romanian airliner. This is regarded as the first aircraft hijack resulting in a fatality. Unknown
22 February 1948 Car bombings 58 123 Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine Ben Yehuda Street bombings: three British Army trucks led by an armoured car driven by Arab irregulars and British deserters exploded on Ben Yehuda Street killing 58 Jewish civilians and injuring 140. Arab insurgents and rogue British soldiers 1947-1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine
7 May 1949 Airliner bombing 13 0 Philippines Thirteen people are killed as a Philippine airliner explodes in flight travelling from Daet to Manila. A time bomb detonates 30 minutes after departure near Alabat Island. Unknown
5 August 1949 Grenade attack 12 ~30 Damascus, Syria 12 killed and dozens injured in the Menarsha synagogue attack. Arab Redemption Suicide Phalange 1948 Palestine war

041950-1969

Date Type Dead Injured Location Details Perpetrator Part of
17 March 1954 Shooting 12 2 Scorpions Pass, Israel Ma'ale Akrabim massacre: an Israeli civilian passenger bus is attacked by unknown assailants at the Scorpions Pass in the Negev, resulting in the deaths of eleven passengers. Palestinian fedayeen Palestinian Fedayeen insurgency
16 June 1955 Bombing 308 ~1200 Buenos Aires, Argentina Bombing of Plaza de Mayo: Thirty aircraft from the Argentine Navy and Air Force bombed and strafed Plaza de Mayo. The attack targeted the adjacent Casa Rosada, the seat of government of former president Juan Perón. Anti-Peronist elements of the Argentine Armed Forces 1955 Argentine coup d'état
16 June 1956 1 6 Nicosia, British Cyprus The United States vice consul is killed and six other consulate staff are injured when a terrorist throws 2 bombs in a restaurant in Nicosia. Unknown Cyprus Emergency
15 August 1958 3 10 Beirut, Lebanon Three people are killed in a bomb blast in Beirut. The bombing also injures ten more at a grocery store near the Lebanese Parliament. Unknown 1958 Lebanon crisis
22 November 1962 Riot 2 (+5) ? Paarl, South Africa Members of the Pan Africanist Congress' military wing, the Azanian People's Liberation Army (also known as Poqo) targeted the town of Paarl in the Western Cape, when a crowd of over 200 people armed with axes, pangas and other home-made weapons marched from the Mbekweni township into Paarl and attacked the police station, homes and shops. Two white residents and 5 attackers were killed. Poqo directed its activities at the white population in general. It was also Poqo's avowed policy to attack and kill black people who were some way or another linked to the apartheid state. PAC (APLA) Internal resistance to apartheid
29 August 1963 Bank robbery 2 3 Buenos Aires, Argentina The Tacuara Nationalist Movement robbed a bank, stealing almost 100,000 US dollars. 2 people died and 3 were injured. Tacuara Nationalist Movement
15 September 1963 Bombing 4 22 Birmingham, United States 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Four members of the Ku Klux Klan planted at least 15 sticks of dynamite attached to a timing device beneath the front steps of the church. The explosion killed 4 girls and wounded 22. Ku Klux Klan Civil rights movement
1963-1970 8 ? Quebec, Canada Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) committed frequent bombings targeting English businesses and banks, as well as McGill University. The whole bombing campaign resulted in 8 known deaths and numerous injuries. Front de libération du Québec Quebec sovereignty movement
26 June 1965 Bombings 42 80 Saigon, South Vietnam Two simultaneous explosions took place near a restaurant in the 1965 Saigon bombing during the Vietnam War. The attack killed 42 people and 80 were wounded. Viet Cong Vietnam War
1966 Riots and massacres 8,000 to 30,000 ? Northern Region, Nigeria The 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom was a series of massacres committed against Igbos and other people of southern Nigerian origin living in northern Nigeria starting in May 1966 and reaching a peak after 29 September 1966. Between 8,000 and 30,000 Igbos and easterners have been estimated to have been killed. A further 1 million Igbos fled the Northern Region into the East. These events led to the secession of the eastern Nigerian region and the declaration of the Republic of Biafra, which ultimately led to the Nigeria-Biafra war. Racist mobs 1966 Nigerian coup d'état
28-29 September 1966 Airliner hijacking 0 0 Argentina and Falkland Islands Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 648 hijacking: a group of militant Argentine nationalists hijacked a civilian Aerolineas Argentinas aircraft while flying over Puerto Santa Cruz and forced the captain at gunpoint to land in the Falkland Islands, where they took several civilians hostage. The crisis was resolved 36 hours later when the hijackers agreed to release their hostages and return to Argentina for trial. Argentine nationalist militants Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute
12 October 1967 Airliner bombing 66 0 Greece A bomb explodes on board Cyprus Airways Flight 284 near Rhodes killing all 66 people on the aircraft. Unknown
4 September 1968 Bombings 1 51 Tel Aviv, Israel Three bombs are detonated in Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring 51 people. Palestine Liberation Organization Israeli-Palestinian conflict
21-25 February 1969 2 20 Jerusalem, Israel 1969 Jerusalem bombings: Three separate bombings in Jerusalem, one in a supermarket and two in the British Consulate. In the supermarket bombing two Israelis were killed, and in all attacks 20 were injured. One of the bombers involved was Rasmea Odeh. PLO (PFLP)
5 August 1969 Bombing 0 0 Dublin, Ireland A bomb was detonated in Dublin at the main studio of the state broadcaster, RTÉ. The Ulster Volunteer Force was responsible. No one was injured. Ulster Volunteer Force The Troubles
19 October 1969 Attempted bombing 0 (+1) Ballyshannon, Ireland A UPV bomber attacked a power station in Ballyshannon, County Donegal. The bomb exploded prematurely as it was being planted, resulting in no casualties other than the attacker. The UVF issued a statement saying the attempted attack was a protest against the Irish Army units "still massed on the border in County Donegal". The statement added: "so long as the threats from Éire continue, so long will the volunteers of Ulster's people's army strike at targets in Southern Ireland". Ulster Protestant Volunteers
31 October 1969 Bombing 0 Dublin, Ireland The Ulster Volunteer Force bombed a monument in Bodenstown, Dublin, dedicated to the Irish Republican hero Wolfe Tone. There were no injuries. Ulster Volunteer Force
11 December 1969 Airliner hijacking, state terrorism 0 0 Sǒndǒk Airfield, North Korea A Korean Air flight flying from Gangneung to Seoul was hijacked by a North Korean agent and flown to North Korea, of the 46 passengers on board (excluding the agent), 39 were repatriated to South Korea, while the fate of the remaining 7 passengers and 4 crew are unknown. North Korea North Korean abductions of South Koreans
12 December 1969 Bombings 17 104 Milan and Rome, Italy Piazza Fontana bombing in Milan kills at least 17 people and injures at least 88. Three additional blasts occur in Rome, injuring 16 people. Ordine Nuovo Years of Lead
26 December 1969 Bombing 0 0 Dublin, Ireland The Ulster Volunteer Force bombed the O'Connell Monument in Dublin. There were no injuries but buildings were damaged in a half mile radius. Ulster Volunteer Force The Troubles
28 December 1969 The Ulster Volunteer Force detonated a bomb outside the Garda central detective bureau in Dublin. The nearby telephone exchange headquarters is suspected to have been the target.
Terrorism deaths per year by country
Terrorism deaths per year by country

051970-present

06By country

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Related topics

State terrorism

State terrorism is terrorism conducted by a state against its own citizens or another state's citizens. It contrasts with state-sponsored terrorism, in which a violent non-state actor commits acts of terrorism under the sponsorship of a state.

Domestic terrorism

Domestic terrorism or homegrown terrorism is a form of terrorism in which victims "within a country are targeted by a perpetrator with the same citizenship" as the victims. There are various different definitions of terrorism, with no universal agreement about it.

Communist terrorism

Communist terrorism is terrorism perpetrated by individuals or groups which adhere to communism and ideologies related to it, such as Marxism-Leninism, Maoism, Stalinism, and Trotskyism. Historically, communist terrorism has sometimes taken the form of state terrorism, supported by communist states such as the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, and Democratic Kampuchea.