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Zero Hour
Zero Hour Home
ZERO HOUR SERIES 2
The capture of Saddam
Timeline
Saddam's who's who list
Bush's who's who list
Photo gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2
Section 1.6
Section 1.7
Section 1.8
Section 1.9
Section 1.10
Killing the Cocaine King
Timeline
Section 2.2
Section 2.3
Section 2.4
Section 2.5
Section 2.6
Section 2.7
Section 2.8
Section 2.9
Section 2.10
The Bali Bombing
Timeline
Photo Gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2
Photo Gallery 3
Photo Gallery 4
Section 3.6
Section 3.7
Section 3.8
Section 3.9
Section 3.10
Oklahoma City Bombing
Timeline
Photo Gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2
Photo Gallery 3
Photo Gallery 4
Photo Gallery 5
Section 4.7
Section 4.8
Section 4.9
Section 4.10
Sinking of the Estonia
Timeline
Section 5.2
Section 5.3
Section 5.4
Section 5.5
Section 5.6
Section 5.7
Section 5.8
Section 5.9
Section 5.10
The Plot to Kill a Pope
Timeline
Section 6.2
Section 6.3
Section 6.4
Section 6.5
Section 6.6
Section 6.7
Section 6.8
Section 6.9
Section 6.10
Section 7
Section 7.1
Section 7.2
Section 7.3
Section 7.4
Section 7.5
Section 7.6
Section 7.7
Section 7.8
Section 7.9
Section 7.10
Section 8
Section 8.1
Section 8.2
Section 8.3
Section 8.4
Section 8.5
Section 8.6
Section 8.7
Section 8.8
Section 8.9
Section 8.10
Section 9
Section 9.1
Section 9.2
Section 9.3
Section 9.4
Section 9.5
Section 9.6
Section 9.7
Section 9.8
Section 9.9
Section 9.10
Section 10
Section 10.1
Section 10.2
Section 10.3
Section 10.4
Section 10.5
Section 10.6
Section 10.7
Section 10.8
Section 10.9
Section 10.10
Section 11
Section 11.1
Section 11.2
Section 11.3
Section 11.4
Section 11.5
Section 11.6
Section 11.7
Section 11.8
Section 11.9
Section 11.10
Section 12
Section 12.1
Section 12.2
Section 12.3
Section 12.4
Section 12.5
Section 12.6
Section 12.7
Section 12.8
Section 12.9
Section 12.10
Section 13
Section 13.1
Section 13.2
Section 13.3
Section 13.4
Section 13.5
Section 13.6
Section 13.7
Section 13.8
Section 13.9
Section 13.10
Section 14
Section 14.1
Section 14.2
Section 14.3
Section 14.4
Section 14.5
Section 14.6
Section 14.7
Section 14.8
Section 14.9
Section 14.10
Section 15
Section 15.1
Section 15.2
Section 15.3
Section 15.4
Section 15.5
Section 15.6
Section 15.7
Section 15.8
Section 15.9
Section 15.10
Section 16
Section 16.1
Section 16.2
Section 16.3
Section 16.4
Section 16.5
Section 16.6
Section 16.7
Section 16.8
Section 16.9
Section 16.10
Section 17
Section 17.1
Section 17.2
Section 17.3
Section 17.4
Section 17.5
Section 17.6
Section 17.7
Section 17.8
Section 17.9
Section 17.10
Section 18
Section 18.1
Section 18.2
Section 18.3
Section 18.4
Section 18.5
Section 18.6
Section 18.7
Section 18.8
Section 18.9
Section 18.10
Section 19
Section 19.1
Section 19.2
Section 19.3
Section 19.4
Section 19.5
Section 19.6
Section 19.7
Section 19.8
Section 19.9
Section 19.10
Section 20
Section 20.1
Section 20.2
Section 20.3
Section 20.4
Section 20.5
Section 20.6
Section 20.7
Section 20.8
Section 20.9
Section 20.10
Section 21
Section 21.1
Section 21.2
Section 21.3
Section 21.4
Section 21.5
Section 21.6
Section 21.7
Section 21.8
Section 21.9
Section 21.10
ZERO HOUR SERIES 1
Columbine High School massacre
Timeline
Section 22.2
Section 22.3
Section 22.4
Section 22.5
Section 22.6
Section 22.7
Section 22.8
Section 22.9
Section 22.10
The Chernobyl disaster
Timeline
Section 23.2
Section 23.3
Section 23.4
Section 23.5
Section 23.6
Section 23.7
Section 23.8
Section 23.9
Section 23.10
Tokyo's Sarin gas attack
Timeline
Section 24.2
Section 24.3
Section 24.4
Section 24.5
Section 24.6
Section 24.7
Section 24.8
Section 24.9
Section 24.10
9/11
Timeline
Section 25.2
Section 25.3
Section 25.4
Section 25.5
Section 25.6
Section 25.7
Section 25.8
Section 25.9
Section 25.10
Section 26
Section 26.1
Section 26.2
Section 26.3
Section 26.4
Section 26.5
Section 26.6
Section 26.7
Section 26.8
Section 26.9
Section 26.10
Section 27
Section 27.1
Section 27.2
Section 27.3
Section 27.4
Section 27.5
Section 27.6
Section 27.7
Section 27.8
Section 27.9
Section 27.10
Section 28
Section 28.1
Section 28.2
Section 28.3
Section 28.4
Section 28.5
Section 28.6
Section 28.7
Section 28.8
Section 28.9
Section 28.10
Section 29
Section 29.1
Section 29.2
Section 29.3
Section 29.4
Section 29.5
Section 29.6
Section 29.7
Section 29.8
Section 29.9
Section 29.10
Section 30
Section 30.1
Section 30.2
Section 30.3
Section 30.4
Section 30.5
Section 30.6
Section 30.7
Section 30.8
Section 30.9
Section 30.10
Section 31
Section 31.1
Section 31.2
Section 31.3
Section 31.4
Section 31.5
Section 31.6
Section 31.7
Section 31.8
Section 31.9
Section 31.10
Section 32
Section 32.1
Section 32.2
Section 32.3
Section 32.4
Section 32.5
Section 32.6
Section 32.7
Section 32.8
Section 32.9
Section 32.10
THE PLOT TO KILL A POPE


16:17-17:17 - 13 May 1981

As Pope John Paul II rides through the throngs in St Peter's Square, a lone assassin grasps his 9mm Browning pistol and inches forward. We are with the Pope, Vatican Security detail and Swiss Guards, a group of tourists and Turkish gunmen as, at Zero Hour, shots resound around the courtyard and the Pontiff collapses.

Pope John Paul II blesses the faithful. (Scene from Zero Hour).
Pope John Paul II
blesses the faithful
Pope John Paul II. (Scene from Zero Hour).
Pope John Paul II
On 13 May 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot at point blank range, as he stood in an open pope mobile in St Peter’s Square. The seriously wounded Pope was rushed to hospital. His would-be assassin, Turkish Mehmet Ali Ağca, was grabbed by the crowd and prevented from escaping. Hit in the abdomen, left hand and right arm, doctors were able to save the Pope's life only because Ağca's bullets missed any vital organs.

Three days after the shooting, the Pope publicly forgave Ağca and asked people to "pray for my brother (Ağca), whom I have sincerely forgiven."

That fateful day was also the feast of the Virgin of Fatima, Portugal. The Holy Father kept himself conscious on the ride to the hospital by concentrating on her, and believes that the Virgin Mary’s hand spared him from death. The Pope later traveled to Portugal to have the bullet mounted in the image of Our Lady of Fatima.

Two years later, Pope John Paul II visited the prison where Ağca was being held. The two spoke privately for some time. The Pope would later request clemency for him, which was granted in 2000. Ağca then returned to Turkey and is in prison for other crimes.


*Images from Zero Hour program.

Images copyright 2005 Discovery Communications Inc.