A bombing strikes the Pentagon during the Vietnam War

On May 19, 1972, the Weather Underground Organization carried out a bombing inside the Pentagon, targeting a women's restroom on the building's fourth floor. The group described the attack as retaliation for the administration of President Richard Nixon conducting bombing operations against Hanoi during the Vietnam War. The incident occurred amid a period of domestic political violence and widespread opposition to American military involvement in Southeast Asia. The Weather Underground was a radical organization that adopted clandestine methods, including bombings, to advance its political objectives. By attacking the Pentagon, the organization targeted a central institution of United States military administration. The bombing became a significant episode in the history of domestic political extremism and security incidents involving the headquarters of the American defense establishment.