This Day in History: April 8

Here’s a brief look back in time for this day, April 8.

In 2009, four Somalian pirates hijack the MV Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship bound for Kenya. This was the first time since the early 1800s when a ship bearing the U.S. flag fell victim to piracy. Its cargo was around 400 containers of food aid provided by USAID for refugees in eastern Africa. 23 crew members were held hostage until snipers from the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team Six killed three of the pirates. All hostages, including the Maersk Alabama‘s captain Richard Phillips, were rescued safely. The fourth pirate is currently serving 33 years in FCI Cumberland; he initially spent the beginning of his sentence in FCI Terre Haute. The incident was adapted in a book titled A Captain’s Duty, and also a 2013 film titled Captain Phillips.

In 2013, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher dies of a stroke in London. She was 87. She became the U.K.’s first female prime minister in 1979 as a representative of the Conservative Party. She was given the nickname “The Iron Lady” following a speech warning the Soviet Union about its intentions for Western Europe. Some of her policies were controversial, such as an increased tax on goods and services, as well as cuts to higher education. However, she shined on foreign and war policy; some of the highlights include bringing an end to the Falklands War, helping end apartheid in South Africa, and establishing close ties with the United States.