On this day in 1948, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) members surrounded the United States consulate in Mukden (now Shenyang), putting the 21 American FSOs inside under house arrest. They would not be allowed to leave for over a year.

Earlier, the PLA had taken over Mukden as part of its takeover of China. They had demanded that the consulate hand over the radio transmitter inside the building, but the refusal ended up causing the hostage situation. The hostages lived inside the consulate without communication, water, or electricity.

You can read about the experiences of these Americans through the eyes of one of the 21 hostages at the link.