July 23

On a summer day in July 1943, a 74-year-old resident of Rayleigh, Essex, was pushed in a bath chair, an early form of wheelchair, by her attacker in a seemingly ordinary stroll. Moments later, the victim was found stabbed to death on a quiet lane, sparking a massive manhunt. Police investigation revealed little evidence, and the case quickly became one of Britain’s most perplexing unsolved murders. The crime scene yielded no clear witnesses, and the motive remained unclear, fueling local fear and sensational headlines. Despite repeated leads and suspect interrogations over the following decades, no one was ever convicted. The Rayleigh bath chair murder remains a chilling and unresolved chapter in England’s criminal history, inspiring books and true-crime discussions.

On July 23, 1999, All Nippon Airways Flight 61, traveling from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to New Chitose Airport, was hijacked by Yuji Nishizawa. Armed with a knife and a box cutter, the 33-year-old passenger demanded to speak with the Japanese Prime Minister. Flight attendants and crew managed to distract Nishizawa, allowing police officers to storm the aircraft upon landing. During the seven-hour ordeal, no passengers were seriously harmed, although the hijacker claimed he wanted to protest government policies. Nishizawa was arrested and later sentenced to life imprisonment. The incident prompted Japanese authorities to review and strengthen aviation security protocols at domestic airports. It marked one of the few cases of aircraft hijacking on a major Japanese carrier. The swift resolution demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated crew training and law enforcement response.