July 23 - 1968 - The Hijacking of El Al Flight 426
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine first took notice on the international stage by hijacking a flight from London to Rome that was eventually headed to Israel. El Al Flight 426 was held for forty days and the PFLP was able to negotiate for the release of 16 prisoners with all the hijackers going free. Despite that, the overall success of hijacking as a political tool is unclear. The Flight 426 hijacking did lead to a wave of hijackings from the PFLP and other groups, but it also allowed governments to figure out how to minimize the damage from hijacking.