The 1972 Munich Olympics tragedy, also known as the Munich massacre, occurred during the Summer Games in Munich, West Germany. On September 5, 1972, eight members of the Palestinian terrorist group Black September broke into the Olympic Village and took 11 Israeli athletes and coaches hostage. The terrorists demanded the release of 234 prisoners held in Israel and two German radicals.
The situation quickly escalated as negotiations failed. A rescue attempt by German authorities at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base ended in disaster, leading to the deaths of all 11 hostages, a German police officer, and five of the terrorists. The Munich massacre shocked the world, highlighting vulnerabilities in Olympic security and leading to significant changes in how future Games were protected. The tragedy is remembered as one of the darkest moments in Olympic history.
