Oklahoma City bombing
A domestic terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, that killed 168 people.
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building: A federal office building in Oklahoma City destroyed in the 1995 bombing. The attack’s target and the site of the blast and rescue operation.
Ruby Ridge standoff: An 1992 federal siege at the Weaver family’s Idaho home that ended in deaths and intensified anti-government sentiment. McVeigh cited the standoff as one grievance behind his attack on federal authority.
Oklahoma City National Memorial: A memorial and museum at the site of the Murrah Building, honoring those killed, injured, and affected. It preserves the site and commemorates the bombing’s victims and survivors.
Oklahoma City bombing victims: The 168 people killed in the bombing, including 19 children, and those injured or otherwise harmed. Their deaths and injuries are the central human cost of the attack.
ANFO: An explosive mixture of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and fuel oil. The bomb used a large fertilizer-based explosive mixture transported in a rental truck.
Waco siege: A 1993 federal siege of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ending in a fire that killed 76 people. McVeigh timed the bombing for the siege’s second anniversary and invoked its deaths.
Oklahoma City National Memorial Act: The 1997 federal law establishing the Oklahoma City National Memorial as a national memorial. Congress created the memorial to preserve the site and honor those affected.
Oklahoma City bombing rescue and recovery: The emergency response and recovery effort following the destruction of the Murrah Building. Firefighters, medical workers, and volunteers searched the rubble for survivors and victims.
Timothy McVeigh: An American domestic terrorist convicted of carrying out the Oklahoma City bombing. He built and detonated the bomb with assistance from Terry Nichols.
Christian Identity: A racist and antisemitic religious movement that portrays white people as the true Israelites. Nichols had connections to Christian Identity adherents, though the bombing was not an act of the movement.