Terrorists attack OPEC headquarters. In Vienna, terrorist Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, known as Carlos, leads a raid on the oil ministers’ conference of OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The Arab and German terrorists attack, killing three people and taking 63 hostages, including 11 OPEC ministers. Calling his group an “arm of the Arab revolution,” Carlos demands the broadcast of an anti-Israeli political statement and the transportation by bus and plane for the terrorists and hostages. Austrian authorities complied with the demands, and all the hostages were released unharmed to Algeria, where the commando surrendered. OPEC did not convene another summit for the next 25 years. In 1997, Carlos, born in Venezuela, was sentenced to life in prison in France for terrorism.
