Historical eventOctober 261979

Park Chung Hee

Park Chung Hee, President of South Korea, is assassinated by Korean CIA head Kim Jae-gyu.

In context

When
Friday, October 26 197947 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1970s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1979.

What happened

Park Chung Hee, President of South Korea, is assassinated by Korean CIA head Kim Jae-gyu.

October 26 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1979Park Chung Hee
  2. 1995Flateyri
  3. 1999United Kingdom
  4. 2000Robert Guéï
  5. 2001Patriot Act
  6. 2001George W. Bush
  7. 2002Moscow theater hostage crisis
  8. 2003Cedar Fire
  9. 2004Rockstar Games
  10. 2012Microsoft
  11. 2015October 2015 Hindu Kush earthquake

Also in 1979

  • March 14Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600 crashes at Doha International Airport, killing 45 people.
  • September 13Venda (Bantustan)South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
  • September 14Nur Muhammad TarakiAfghan president Nur Muhammad Taraki (pictured) was overthrown and later killed on the orders of Hafizullah Amin, who succeeded him.
  • September 16East Germany balloon escapeEight people escaped from East Germany to West Germany in a home-made hot air balloon.
  • September 16The Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill Gang released their first single, Rapper's Delight.
  • May 25Disappearance of Etan PatzSix-year-old Etan Patz disappeared on his way to school in New York City, and later became one of the first missing children to have his…
  • May 25O'Hare International AirportDuring takeoff from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, an engine detached from American Airlines Flight 191, causing a crash that k…
  • May 25John SpenkelinkJohn Spenkelink, a convicted murderer, is executed in Florida; he is the first person to be executed in the state after the reintroductio…

Everything we record for 1979 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Park Chung Hee”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/park-chung-hee-1979-october-26, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Park Chung Hee happen?

October 26 1979 — 47 years ago, on a Friday.

Where does this text come from?

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

How do I cite this page?

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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