The Xá Lợi Pagoda raids were attacks on various Buddhist pagodas in South Vietnam in 1963, executed by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces and combat police, who both took their orders from Ngô Đình Nhu, brother of President Ngô Đình Diệm. South Vietnam's Buddhist majority were protesting religious bias and discrimination, and temples in major cities, notably Xá Lợi Pagoda (pictured) in Saigon, became focal points for protesters. On 21 August, Nhu's men attacked, looted and vandalised the pagodas. In Huế, street battles erupted between government forces and rioting civilians. Over 1,400 Buddhists were arrested, and estimates of the number dead or missing ranged up to the hundreds. The Ngô family claimed that the army had carried out the raids; this was later debunked, prompting the United States to turn against the regime, leading to Diệm's overthrow. In response to the raids, several public servants resigned, and university and high school students boycotted classes and staged demonstrations.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X%C3%A1_L%E1%BB%A3i_Pagoda_raids

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1945:

American physicist Harry Daghlian accidentally dropped a tungsten carbide brick onto a plutonium bomb core, exposing himself to neutron radiation and later becoming the first Manhattan Project fatality due to a criticality accident. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Daghlian

1971:

Six people were killed during an escape attempt and riot at San Quentin State Prison in California; the subsequent trial of six inmates was the longest in state history at the time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Quentin_Six

1986:

A limnic eruption of Lake Nyos in Cameroon released a cloud of carbon dioxide, suffocating 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos_disaster

2013:

Syrian civil war: Areas controlled by the Syrian opposition in Ghouta, Damascus, were attacked by rockets (launcher pictured) containing sarin, killing at least 281 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghouta_chemical_attack

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Barbiefication: (derogatory) A cultural move toward superficiality and a focus on physical attractiveness at the expense of depth and intellect. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Barbiefication

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

There can be a new tomorrow There can be a brighter day There can be a new tomorrow Love will find a way   --Jackie DeShannon https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jackie_DeShannon