Until 9/11, the deadliest hijacking in history was Ethiopian Flight 961 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi on this day in 1996. Three Ethiopians hijacked the plane, claiming to have a bomb, and demanding the pilot fly to Australia.

Of the 175 passengers and crew members aboard the plane, only 50 survived. One of these survivors was U.S. Ambassador Frank Huddle. You can learn more about the hijacking and rescue from the rescuer himself, Ambassador to Mauritius Harold Geisel, at the link.