Leon Klinghoffer (September 24, 1916 – October 8, 1985) was a retired appliance manufacturer from New York who was disabled (from a stroke) and used a wheelchair for mobility. Leon was murdered by Palestinian terrorists who hijacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro. September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... Official language(s) English Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ... The term disability, as it is applied to humans, refers to any condition that impedes the completion of daily tasks using traditional methods. ... A stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is suddenly interrupted. ... Wheelchair seating in a theater A lightweight manual wheelchair A wheelchair is a complex medical device used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness or disability and incorporates posturally supportive seating, including pressure cushions in many cases. ... The term Palestinian terrorism is commonly used to describe acts of political violence committed by Palestinian individuals or groups against Israelis, Jews, and nationals of other countries. ... The Willem Ruys The Achille Lauro The Achille Lauro was a passenger liner, most remembered for its 1985 hijacking. ...

Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer, both Jewish-Americans, were celebrating their 36th wedding anniversary in 1985 by taking a cruise aboard the Achille Lauro. On the afternoon of October 8, 1985, four Palestinian terrorists who had hijacked the ship shot Leon Klinghoffer while he was sitting in his wheelchair. The terrorists then threw him and his wheelchair overboard, while he was still alive as his wife watched in horror. A Jewish American (also commonly American Jew) is an American (a citizen of the United States) of Jewish descent or religion who maintains a connection to the Jewish community, either through actively practicing Judaism or through cultural and historical affiliation. ... This article is about the year. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... The term Palestinian terrorism is commonly used to describe acts of political violence committed by Palestinian individuals or groups against Israelis, Jews, and nationals of other countries. ... Hijacking or highjacking is the forcible robbery from, or seizure of, a vehicle in transit. ... Wheelchair seating in a theater A lightweight manual wheelchair A wheelchair is a complex medical device used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness or disability and incorporates posturally supportive seating, including pressure cushions in many cases. ...

The body was recovered from the sea and Leon Klinghoffer was buried at Beth David Memorial Park in Kenilworth, New Jersey. Four months after Leon Klinghoffer's murder, Marilyn Klinghoffer died of colon cancer. Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer were survived by their daughters, Ilsa and Lisa Klinghoffer. Kenilworth is a borough located in Union County, New Jersey. ... Diagram of the stomach, colon, and rectum Colorectal cancer includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. ...

After his death, his daughters established the Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer Memorial Foundation with the Anti-Defamation League; the foundation combats terrorism through educational, political and legal means. The foundation is funded by undisclosed settlement paid by the PLO to the Klinghoffers to settle a lawsuit seeking damages for the PLO's role in the hijacking. (Klinghoffer v. PLO, 739 F. Supp. 854 (S.D.N.Y. 1990) and Klinghoffer v. PLO, 937 F.2d 44, 50 (2d Cir. 1991) ). This lawsuit spurred passage of the Antiterrorism Act of 1990 which made it easier for victims of terrorism to sue terrorists and collect civil damages for losses incurred. This article is in need of attention. ... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic Munazzamat al-Tahrir Filastiniyyah منظمة تحرير فلسطينية ) is a political and paramilitary organization of Palestinian Arabs dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to consist of the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with an intent to destroy Israel. ...

The hijacking was made into a television movie in 1990, Voyage of Terror – The Achille Lauro Affair starring Burt Lancaster and Eve Marie Saint. John Coolidge Adams' second opera, The Death of Klinghoffer, with a libretto by Alice Goodman, opened to great controversy in 1991. The concept for the opera was suggested by director Peter Sellars. The Los Angeles Opera shared in the works' commission but never presented it. A television movie (also known as a TV movie, TV-movie, feature-length drama, made-for-TV movie, movie of the week (MOTW or MOW), single drama, telemovie, telefilm, or two-hour-long drama) is a film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network. ... This article is about the year. ... Burt Lancaster Burt Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American film actor. ... Marie Saint in North by Northwest. ... John Coolidge Adams (b. ... The Death of Klinghoffer is an opera by the contemporary American composer John Adams to an English libretto by the poet Alice Goodman, based on a historical incident. ... Alice Goodman is the wife of noted poet Geoffrey Hill. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Peter Sellars Peter Sellars (born 1957) is a leading American theater director, renowned for his modern stagings of classical operas and plays. ... The Los Angeles Opera is a world-class opera company in Los Angeles, California. ...

External links

• U.S. captures mastermind of Achille Lauro hijacking by David Ensor of CNN, April 16, 2003
• ADL and Klinghoffer Family React to Death of Terrorist Abu Abbas ADL Press release, March 9, 2004
• The Second Death of Leon Klinghoffer by Samuel Lipman, published in Commentary, November 1991