Modern Era · Southeast Asia · Religion

1963

Thich Quang Duc burns

June 11, 1963

At a Saigon intersection, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk sat down in the lotus position, had gasoline poured over him by a fellow monk, and set himself on fire to protest the persecution of Buddhists by the Catholic Diem regime. A photographer captured it. President Kennedy called the picture the most powerful news image he had ever seen.

In context
Also in 1963 (5 other events on record)
Era

Modern Era (1901–2000), one of 590 events from that era on Saeculum.