Tavistock Square
July 7, 2005: Islamist terrorists carry out 4 suicide bombings during the morning rush hour in London. They targeted Underground (what the British call their subway system) stations at Aldgate, Edgeware Road and Russell Square, and on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square.
The bombs went off at 8:49 AM, 3:49 AM U.S. Eastern Time. Not counting the bombers themselves, 52 people were killed, and over 700 were injured.
It was the deadliest terrorist attack in London's history, in spite of the "best" efforts of the Irish Republican Army, its various offshoots, and their Unionist opponents. And no enemy force had killed so many people in London since the last airborne bombing by Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe during World War II, over 60 years before.
A police investigation determined that what became known as "the 7/7 Bombings" were planned in Leeds, in Yorkshire, and raids arrested members of the terror cells involved. Like their American counterparts, the FBI, Britain's MI5 do not mess around.
Every year since, in commemoration, just before 11:30 AM -- 6:30 AM, U.S. Eastern Standard Time -- every train in the United Kingdom pulls to a stop, and its crews and passengers observe a minute's silence, the traditional British tribute for a solemn commemoration.
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July 7, 2005 was a Thursday. For English football (what Americans would call soccer), it was the off-season. Cricket is their Summer sport, and there was an "Ashes" series between England and Australia coming up, to begin on July 21, 2 weeks later. England went on to win that series.
In America, it was the off-season for the NFL, the NBA and the NHL. A moment of silence for the London victims held before the day's Major League Baseball games:
* The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-2 at the original Yankee Stadium. Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi and Derek Jeter hit home runs in support of Mike Mussina.
* The New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals, 3-2 at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington. Mike Piazza singled home Carlos Beltran with the winning run in the top of the 11th inning.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox, 3-1 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, in a game that was stopped due to rain after 6 innings.
* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Oakland Athletics, 4-2 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
* The Atlanta Braves swept a doubleheader from the Chicago Cubs at Turner Field in Atlanta. The Braves won the opener 6-0, and the nightcap 9-4.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 6-4 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
* The Florida Marlins beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 11-3 at what is now named Hard Rock Stadium in the Miami suburb of Miami Gardens.
* The San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros, 7-5 at Minute Maid Park (now Daikin Park) in Houston.
* The Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins, 8-5 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.
* The Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-5 at Coors Field in Denver.
* The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1 at Chase Field in Phoenix.
* The Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels, 10-2 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-1 at what is now named Oracle Park in San Francisco.
* And the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers were not scheduled.
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