the Oklahoma City bombing
/ði ˌəʊkləhəʊmə ˌsɪti ˈbɒmɪŋ/
/ði ˌəʊkləhəʊmə ˌsɪti ˈbɑːmɪŋ/
- the occasion on 19 April 1995 when a car bomb exploded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killing 168 people and injuring more than 400. At the time it was the worst terrorist act ever carried out in the US. The bomb destroyed the city's Federal Building. After investigating the crime, the FBI arrested Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, members of a group who were prepared to use violence to protest against actions by the government. McVeigh was condemned to death. The bombing made Americans aware of new dangerous groups within the country.