by Pamela Kay

Created on: April 29, 2008   Last Updated: August 07, 2008

The two worst moments in Olympic history were The Munich Massacre and the Centennial Olympic Park Bombing. These were tragedies that shook the world, because of the number of injuries and lost lives, and the hatred that marred the objective of the Olympics, which was a time for the nations of the world to come together in peace.

1-The Munich Massacre

What should have been a time for honoring Olga Korbut and Mark Spitz for their outstanding performances, was instead a time of heart wrenching tragedy. What was hoped to be a time of healing old wounds, made in 1936 when Hitler tried to use the games to show the superiority of the Aryan race, once again threw a dark light on Germany because of their decisions following the massacre.

In the early morning hours of September 5, 1972, eight Arab terrorist belonging to the little known Black September organization, exploded into the Olympic village apartment of the Israeli athletes. They killed a coach and one athlete before herding nine others into one apartment where they were held hostage, while the terrorist made their demands.

A member of the PLO, Black September demanded that Israel free 200 of their comrades and two famous German terrorist. They also wanted to draw world attention to the plight of the Palestinians living in Israel.

After the negotiations failed, Germany allowed the terrorist to go to an airport where they planned to take the hostages back to the Middle East. At the airport, German sharpshooters tried to free the hostages. An eighteen hour gun battle ensued which resulted in the death of all hostages, two terrorist and a police officer.

The world, which was already in shock from the deaths of the athletes and the continuation of the Olympics, was angered further when Germany later released the terrorist prisoners, captured at the airport.

All of the terrorist and those involved in the planning of the massacre were later killed or died of natural causes with the exception of the mastermind of the whole operation, Abu Daoud, who lives in hiding today, supported by the PLO.

2-Centennial Olympic Park Bombing

On July 27, 1996, as Alice Hawthorn and her fourteen-year-old daughter entered the Olympic Park in Atlanta, to hear a concert by Jack Mack and the Heart Attack, the night was muggy as only a hot southern night can be.

A lifetime sports fan, she was excited to there. At 1:21 AM, her excitement vanished, as a nail from a pipe bomb entered her head and killed her. She was the only death reported as caused

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