Historical eventOctober 271999

Nairi Hunanyan

Armed men led by Nairi Hunanyan carried out a mass shooting at the Armenian parliament, killing Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan (pictured), National Assembly speaker Karen Demirchyan, and six others.

Everything on October 27Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, October 27 199927 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1990s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1999.

What came beforeAI-assisted

Armenia's 1998 presidential election was disputed, with incumbent Levon Ter-Petrosyan claiming victory but facing widespread allegations of fraud. Ter-Petrosyan resigned in February 1998 after mass protests, and Robert Kocharyan became president.

Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, appointed in 1999, was seen as close to Kocharyan and represented continuity in the government's direction. Political tensions remained high over economic hardship and questions about the legitimacy of recent elections.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

The shooting occurred during a parliamentary session on October 27, 1999. Armed gunmen entered the National Assembly building and opened fire on lawmakers without warning.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

Nairi Hunanyan led the armed group that carried out the attack. The gunmen killed Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, National Assembly speaker Karen Demirchyan, and six other officials.

The attackers' motives and organizational backing were disputed; some reports suggested links to opposition figures, while others indicated personal grievances. Hunanyan and his associates were arrested following the incident.

TimelineAI-assisted

October 27, 1999: Armed men led by Nairi Hunanyan entered the Armenian parliament and opened fire during a session, killing eight people including the Prime Minister and National Assembly speaker.

What happened

Armed men led by Nairi Hunanyan carried out a mass shooting at the Armenian parliament, killing Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan (pictured), National Assembly speaker Karen Demirchyan, and six others.

October 27 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 19971997 Asian financial crisis
  2. 1999Armenian parliament shooting
  3. 1999Nairi Hunanyan
  4. 2004Boston Red Sox
  5. 2011Michael D. Higgins
  6. 2014Operation Herrick
  7. 2017Catalonia
  8. 2018Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
  9. 2018Leicester City F.C.
  10. 2019Islamic State
  11. 2019The Mocking of Christ (Cimabue)

Also in 1999

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  • September 14KiribatiKiribati, Nauru and Tonga join the United Nations.
  • October 22Maurice PaponMaurice Papon, an official in the Vichy government during World War II, is jailed for crimes against humanity.
  • May 25United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives releases the Cox Report which details China's nuclear espionage against the U.S. over the prio…
  • August 101999 Los Angeles Jewish Community Center shootingOne person is killed and five people are injured in the Los Angeles Jewish Community Center shooting.
  • January 3Mars Polar LanderThe Mars Polar Lander is launched by NASA.
  • November 27New Zealand Labour PartyThe Labour Party defeated the governing National Party in the New Zealand general election, with Labour's Helen Clark becoming the countr…
  • July 5Bill ClintonU.S. President Bill Clinton imposes trade and economic sanctions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Everything we record for 1999 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Nairi Hunanyan”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/nairi-hunanyan-1999-october-27, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Nairi Hunanyan happen?

October 27 1999 — 27 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. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

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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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