5. The Black Tom Explosion – WWI Espionage on American Soil
On July 30, 1916, German agents orchestrated a sabotage operation at Black Tom Island, a munitions depot in New Jersey. They set fires that ignited over two million pounds of explosives, causing a massive explosion equivalent to a 5.5 magnitude earthquake. The blast shattered windows across Manhattan, damaged the Statue of Liberty, and resulted in at least seven fatalities. This act underscored America’s vulnerability to foreign interference during World War I (fbi.gov).
