TODAY IN HISTORY: Major city locked down over black boxes with cartoon character on them

On January 31, 2007, Boston police shut down multiple highways and public transportation stations after discovering what appeared to be explosive devices. These devices were believed to be explosives scattered throughout the city, causing public panic. It was reported that dozens of black boxes containing circuit boards and exposed wires were placed throughout the city, and the flashing lights on the boxes further heightened concerns, leading to an emergency lockdown of large parts of the city by police.

However, after hours of investigation, police eventually realized that the boxes were merely promotional advertisements for the cartoon "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." These devices, featuring LED lights of cartoon characters, were part of a guerrilla marketing campaign for the cartoon in multiple cities across the United States. Despite this, two individuals who installed these devices were charged with placing hoax devices and inciting panic, although these charges were later dropped. They ultimately agreed to publicly apologize and perform community service.

On January 31, 1984, notorious Australian bank robber Haki “Tim” Atahan was shot and killed by police in Sydney after staging a bizarre city chase inspired by the Al Pacino film "Dog Day Afternoon." A Turkish immigrant, Atahan had already robbed two banks that day before a botched robbery at a third bank resulted in a standoff with police. The incident later became known as one of Australia's most infamous bank robberies.

Atahan first robbed an ANZ Bank branch in Sydney's central business district and then walked directly next door to the State Bank five minutes later. But his luck ran out when he was pursued by a bank teller and two passing police officers. The panicked criminal fled into a Commonwealth Bank near George Street. Surrounded by armed police, Atahan took bank staff hostage and demanded a large sum of cash, a car, and a helicopter. What followed was a slow-speed car chase broadcast live on television. Two hours later, he released one hostage and picked up his 23-year-old girlfriend. The saga eventually ended at the Spit Bridge on Sydney’s northern beaches, where authorities deliberately kept the bridge open. Atahan was killed on the spot after a gunfight with police, while a police officer was shot in the face but survived.

On January 31, 1961, the film "The Misfits" premiered in New York, which was the last film for its stars Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. Gable died about a week after filming was completed, and Monroe died of a drug overdose less than a year after the film's release. On January 31, 1990, in Moscow, hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens flocked to the first McDonald's in the then-communist country. Its opening was a powerful symbol of easing Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. However, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the American fast-food giant left Moscow and other Russian cities.