The Huế chemical attacks occurred on June 3, 1963, when soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam poured liquid chemicals from tear gas grenades onto praying Buddhists in Huế, South Vietnam (location of attacks pictured). The Buddhists were protesting against religious discrimination by the regime of President Ngo Dinh Diem, a Roman Catholic. The attacks caused 67 people to be hospitalised for skin blistering and respiratory ailments, and led the United States to threaten privately to withdraw support for Diem. The protests were part of a Buddhist campaign for religious equality after nine people were killed while defying a ban on flying the Buddhist flag. An inquiry determined that the chemical used failed to vapourise as it should have done, exonerating the soldiers from charges that they had used poison or mustard gas. However, Diem had already been forced to appoint a panel of three cabinet ministers to meet with Buddhist leaders for negotiations regarding religious equality. The talks led to the signing of the Joint Communique, but the policy changes it provided were not implemented and widespread protests continued, leading to the assassination of Diem in a military coup.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hu%E1%BA%BF_chemical_attacks

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1658:

Pope Alexander VII appointed François de Laval as vicar apostolic of New France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_de_Laval

1781:

American Revolutionary War: Jack Jouett made a "midnight ride" to warn Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature of coming British cavalry who had been sent to capture them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Jouett

1943:

Off-duty US sailors fought with Mexican American youths in Los Angeles, spawning the Zoot Suit Riots. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots

1973:

At the Paris Air Show, a Tupolev Tu-144 broke up in mid-flight and disintegrated, killing the six members of the crew and eight bystanders on the ground. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Paris_Air_Show_crash

1982:

An assassination attempt on Shlomo Argov, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, failed; this was later used as justification for the 1982 Lebanon War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shlomo_Argov

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

guardian angel: A spirit believed to protect and to guide a particular person. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/guardian_angel

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

If the Internet teaches us anything, it is that great value comes from leaving core resources in a commons, where they're free for people to build upon as they see fit.   --Lawrence Lessig https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lawrence_Lessig