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

On January 31, 2007, Boston police shut down several highways and public transit stops after discovering dozens of suspected explosive devices throughout the city. These devices were actually about three dozen black boxes containing circuit boards and exposed wires, scattered across the city. The flashing lights on the boxes raised police suspicion, leading to a large-scale city lockdown.

After hours of investigation, police realized the boxes were merely promotional signs for the cartoon show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." These signs, featuring LED lights of cartoon characters, were installed in several US cities as part of a guerilla marketing campaign. Two individuals who installed the devices were initially charged with placing hoax devices to incite panic, but those charges were later dropped.

Ultimately, they agreed to issue a public apology and perform community service. On January 31, 1984, notorious Australian bank robber Hakki “Tim” Atahan was shot and killed by police in Sydney. This followed a bizarre car chase through the city, inspired by the movie "Dog Day Afternoon."

Turkish immigrant Atahan had already robbed two banks that day, and after a failed robbery attempt at a third, he became embroiled in a standoff with police. The incident became known as one of Australia's most infamous bank robberies. Atahan first robbed the ANZ bank branch in Sydney's central business district, and five minutes later walked straight next door to the State Bank.

His luck ran out when a bank teller and two passing police officers began to pursue him. A panicked Atahan fled into the nearby Commonwealth Bank on George Street. After being surrounded by armed police, Atahan took bank staff hostage and demanded a car and helicopter. A slow-speed car chase, broadcast live on television, ensued. Two hours later, he released one hostage and picked up his 23-year-old girlfriend.

The chase eventually ended on the Spit Bridge on Sydney’s North Shore, where authorities deliberately opened the bridge. Atahan was fatally shot in a hail of gunfire after a shootout with police and died at the scene. One police officer was shot in the face but survived. On January 31, 1961, the film "The Misfits" premiered in New York, marking the last movie for its stars Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable. Gable died about a week after filming concluded, while Monroe died of a drug overdose less than a year after the film's release.

On January 31, 1990, hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens flocked to the first McDonald's restaurant in what was then a communist country on its opening day in Moscow. Its opening was a powerful symbol of the thawing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. However, in 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the American fast-food giant left Moscow and other Russian cities.