Wikipedia:Today's featured article/April 19, 2010

The Oklahoma City bombing occurred on April 19, 1995, when American militia movement sympathizer Timothy McVeigh, with the assistance of Terry Nichols, destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. It was the most significant act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11 attacks in 2001, claiming the lives of 168 victims and injuring more than 680. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a sixteen-block radius. The bomb was estimated to have caused at least $652 million worth of damage. The official investigation was the largest criminal investigation case in American history; FBI agents conducted 28,000 interviews, collecting nearly one billion pieces of information. McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001, and Nichols was sentenced to life in prison. As a result of the bombing, the U.S. government passed legislation designed to prevent future terrorist attacks by increasing the protection around federal buildings. On April 19, 2000, the Oklahoma City National Memorial was dedicated on the site of the Murrah Federal Building, commemorating the victims of the bombing. (more...)

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