Beslan school siege

Historical eventSeptember 12004

Beslan school siege

The Beslan school siege begins when armed terrorists take schoolchildren and school staff hostage in North Ossetia, Russia; by the end of the siege, three days later, more than 385 people are dead (including hostages, other civilians, security personnel and terrorists).

Everything on September 1Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, September 1 200422 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2000s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2004.

What happened

The Beslan school siege, also referred to as the Beslan school hostage crisis or the Beslan massacre, was a terrorist attack that occurred from 1 September 2004 to 3 September 2004 in the town of Beslan, North Ossetia, Russian Federation. It lasted three days, and involved the imprisonment of more than 1,100 people as hostages, including 777 children. The hostages — primarily children, their parents, and school staff — were held by terrorists in a building rigged with explosives under severe conditions;

September 1 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1972Cold War
  2. 1973Rescue of Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman
  3. 1973Celtic Sea
  4. 1974Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
  5. 1981David Dacko
  6. 1982United States Space Force Combat Forces Command
  7. 1983Cold War
  8. 1985Titanic
  9. 2000Speakers' Corner, Singapore
  10. 2004Beslan school siege
  11. 2008Iraq War

Also in 2004

  • September 15National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman announces lockout of the players' union and cessation of operations by the NHL head office.
  • September 16Hurricane IvanHurricane Ivan makes landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama as a Category 3 hurricane.
  • January 3Flash Airlines Flight 604Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashed shortly after departure from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport which killed all 148 occupants on bo…
  • November 27Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II returns the relics of Saint John Chrysostom to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
  • November 27Blackwater 61 crashBlackwater 61 crash: A CASA C-212 Aviocar crashes into the Koh-i-Baba mountain range in Afghanistan, killing six.
  • September 3Beslan school siegeBeslan school siege ends, resulting in over 330 fatalities, including 186 children.
  • July 52004 Indonesian presidential electionIndonesia held its first direct presidential elections, which resulted in the election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as President of Indone…
  • July 5Direct electionThe first direct Indonesian presidential election is held.

Everything we record for 2004 →

Sources

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“Beslan school siege”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/beslan-school-siege-2004-september-1, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Beslan school siege happen?

September 1 2004 — 22 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

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Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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