Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

terrorism: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

News •

Polish prosecutors say ‘too early’ to tell if Kraków gunman was motivated by political ideology • Nov. 9, 2026, 1:32 AM ET (The Guardian)
Youth found guilty of terrorism charges tied to alleged plan to kill Jewish people in Ottawa • Oct. 16, 2026, 1:21 PM ET (Globe and Mail)

Photos and Videos

Madrid train bombings of 2004
Louis XVI: Execution by guillotine
Persian Gulf War: burning oil wells
Ku Klux Klan members in white robes and hoods stand in a circle at night around a large burning cross in Tennessee.
Omagh bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
World Trade Center: jetliner approaching a tower
September 11 attacks
Thematic map of the northeastern United States showing the flight paths of the four hijacked planes during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Color-coded arrows trace the routes of American Airlines flights 11 and 77, and United Airlines flights 175 and 93, with destinations in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Major cities and state boundaries are labeled for context.
Rise and fall of the Red Army Faction in West Germany
September 11 terrorist attacks: Perpetrators and victims
Learn about the Munich massacre of 1972
Black September at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

default image
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Jordanian-born terrorist
default image
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Sri Lankan revolutionary
Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023, attack
Yahya Sinwar
Palestinian politician
Muammar al-Qaddafi
Muammar al-Qaddafi
de facto leader of Libya
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Saudi Arabian militant and al-Qaeda leader
default image
Anwar al-Awlaki
American preacher and terrorist
Black and white portrait of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal, wearing large dark glasses, a collared shirt, and a leather jacket.
Carlos the Jackal
Venezuelan militant
Joseph Kony
Joseph Kony
Ugandan rebel
default image
Ramzi Ahmed Yousef
Kuwaiti-born militant
Eric Robert Rudolph, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and a black protective vest, is escorted in handcuffs and leg irons by law enforcement officers, including FBI and ATF agents.
Eric Rudolph
American terrorist
default image
Doku Umarov
Chechen separatist and guerrilla leader
default image
George Metesky
American criminal
“Apo”
Abdullah Öcalan
Kurdish militant leader
default image
Abimael Guzmán
Peruvian revolutionary
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Egyptian militant
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Islamist militant
Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi
Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi
Libyan national
Terry Nichols, wearing a bulletproof vest and handcuffs, is escorted by a uniformed officer as he leaves the Courthouse.
Terry Nichols
American militant
default image
Richard Reid
British Islamist militant
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
American terrorist