First hijacking
August 20, 2026
On Aug. 3, 1961, Leon Bearden and his 16-year-old son, Cody, carried out the first hijacking of a domestic U.S. airliner, seizing Continental Airlines Flight 54 over New Mexico and demanding to be flown to Cuba. The Boeing 707, carrying 55 passengers and a six-member crew, was diverted to El Paso…
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