On This Day…

Shoe Bomber

December 22, 2001

Richard Reid attempts to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes aboard American Airlines Flight 63. He was subdued by the crew and passengers while attempting to light the bomb. He was unable to light the bomb because sweat from his feet had dampened the explosives. Reid, an Islamic fundamentalist from the United Kingdom and self-proclaimed Al-Qaeda operative, was sentenced to 3 life terms plus 110 years without parole.