The Arab Oil Embargo Triggers the Energy Crisis
The Arab oil embargo began on October 16, 1973, after an OPEC price rise, and oil prices roughly quadrupled within months.
Bombing of the Beirut Barracks
A truck bomb killed 241 US Marines in Beirut on October 23, 1983. A second bomb killed 58 French troops. The force withdrew soon after.
The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro and the Killing of Leon Klinghoffer
Gunmen from the Palestine Liberation Front seized the cruise ship Achille Lauro on October 7, 1985, and killed passenger Leon Klinghoffer.
Jordan and Israel Sign a Peace Treaty
On October 26, 1994, Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty, making Jordan the second Arab state to recognize Israel.
Trial of Saddam Hussein Begins
Saddam Hussein's trial began in Baghdad on October 19, 2005. He was charged over the 1982 killings in Dujail and executed the next year.
Muammar Gaddafi Is Killed
Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed in Sirte on October 20, 2011, ending his 42-year rule of Libya. His death left the country in chaos.