On This Day

FBi arrests 6 members of the Great Brink's robbery gang, 6 days before statute of limitations runs out

The Great Brink's Robbery was an armed robbery of the Brink's building in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1950.

The Great Brink's Robbery was an armed robbery of the Brink's building in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1950. The $2.775 million ($37.1 million today) theft consisted of $1,218,211.29 in cash and $1,557,183.83 in checks, money orders, and other securities. It was at the time the largest robbery in the history of the United States and has been called "the crime of the century," and "the perfect crime ". The robbery remained unsolved for nearly six years, until estranged group member Joseph O'Keefe testified only days before the statute of limitations would have expired. Of the eleven people involved in the robbery, eight would receive life sentences after a trial, with two others dying before they could be convicted.

Historical Significance

The Great Brink's Robbery was an armed robbery of the Brink's building in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1950.

Events Before

  1. "The Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later moves to CBS)

    "The Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later moves to CBS)

  2. Bhutan issues its first postage stamps

    The first postage stamps of Bhutan were issued in 1962, the same year that the first motorable road was opened.

  3. Marian Anderson is the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera, singing the role of Ulric

    Marian Anderson is the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera, singing the role of Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera"

  4. American film director Stanley Kubrick (26) weds second wife, Austrian theatrical designer Ruth Sobotka (29); divorce in

    American film director Stanley Kubrick (26) weds second wife, Austrian theatrical designer Ruth Sobotka (29); divorce in 1957

  5. "The Millionaire" TV series premieres on CBS

    "The Millionaire" TV series premieres on CBS

Events After

  1. Sputnik 1 Launch

    The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, igniting the Space Age and the US-Soviet Space Race.

  2. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in one of the most famous i

    An Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit attacks Brookeborough Royal Ulster Constabulary barracks in one of the most famous incidents of the IRA's Operation Harvest

  3. Aviator Howard Hughes marries 2nd wife actress Jean Peters

    Aviator Howard Hughes marries 2nd wife actress Jean Peters

  4. South African golfer Gary Player (21) weds childhood sweetheart Vivienne Verwey, until her death in 2021

    South African golfer Gary Player (21) weds childhood sweetheart Vivienne Verwey, until her death in 2021

  5. English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor's 2nd divorce from English actor Michael Wilding, after almost 5 years of marr

    English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor's 2nd divorce from English actor Michael Wilding, after almost 5 years of marriage

More from the 1950s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 12, 1956?
The Great Brink's Robbery was an armed robbery of the Brink's building in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1950. The $2.775 million ($37.1 million today) theft consisted of $1,218,211.29 in cash and $1,557,183.83 in checks, money orders, and other securities. It was at the time the largest robbery in the history of the United States and has been called "the crime of the century," and "the perfect crime ".
Why is FBi arrests 6 members of the Great Brink's robbery gang, 6 days before statut... significant?
The Great Brink's Robbery was an armed robbery of the Brink's building in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1950.

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