On this date in 1974, Marshall Fields crashed his Chevy Impala through the Northwest gate of the White House in Washington, DC. Fields, who was dressed in Arab clothing, claimed he was the Messiah. He displayed what appeared to be a bomb strapped to his body and threatened to detonate it. After a four hour standoff with police, Fields surrendered. After his surrender, police discovered that his bomb was really made up of common road flares. They also discovered he was not really the Messiah. I guess you just can’t believe a raving lunatic. Not even on Christmas.
Further reading:
Wikipedia – Marshall Fields
Yonkers, NY Herald Statesman – “Break-in sparks review”
History.com – A History of White House Attacks
Nobody Move! 
[…] Source: this day in crime history: december 25, 1974 […]
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President Nixon should have asked him to prove himself by walking on the Whte House swimming pool.
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Only the President is allowed to walk on water at the White House pool. 😉
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John D.:
MARSHALL FIELDS…I smell some IRONY there.
Makes me think maybe this is why the department stores never were AS popular after this.
Have a GREAT CHRISTMAS out there, my friend.
Roll safe.
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Last I heard, the got bought out by Macy’s.
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