When Did the Oklahoma City Bombing Occur?

The Oklahoma City bombing took place on April 19, 1995. A truck bomb detonated outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City at 9:02 a.m., killing 168 people, including 19 children in the building's daycare center, and injuring more than 680 others. It remained the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in United States history until September 11, 2001.

What Happened That Day

Timothy McVeigh, a 27-year-old former Army soldier, parked a rented 20-foot Ryder truck filled with approximately 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and nitromethane racing fuel in front of the Murrah Building. The explosion destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a 16-block radius and shattered windows up to 55 blocks away. The blast created a crater nine feet deep in the street. McVeigh was arrested 90 minutes later during a traffic stop north of the city; Terry Nichols, who had helped prepare the bomb, was arrested two days later.

The Murrah Building's north face was obliterated almost entirely. The daycare center, which occupied the second floor on that side, sustained a direct hit. Rescue workers and volunteers worked around the clock; the final confirmed survivors were pulled from the rubble on April 20. Recovery and identification of remains continued for weeks.

Investigation and Prosecution

The Federal Bureau of Investigation launched one of its largest investigations. McVeigh and Nichols were indicted on federal charges including murder and use of a weapon of mass destruction. McVeigh's trial began in Denver in March 1997; he was convicted on June 2, 1997, and executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001, at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. Nichols received a life sentence without parole in 1997 and remains incarcerated.

The investigation revealed that McVeigh had been motivated by anti-government ideology and anger over the 1993 federal siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas. Documents and testimony presented at trial showed McVeigh viewed the bombing as an act of war against the federal government.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial

The National Park Service operates the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum at the site of the former Murrah Building, located at 620 North Harvey Avenue in downtown Oklahoma City. The memorial opened to the public on April 19, 2000, exactly five years after the bombing. It occupies 3.3 acres and includes the Reflecting Pool, featuring 168 bronze and stone chairs representing each victim, arranged in nine rows corresponding to the nine floors of the Murrah Building.

Museum admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military personnel, and $8 for children ages 6 to 12; children under 6 enter free. The museum includes exhibits on the bombing itself, first-responder efforts, and the recovery process, alongside displays about resilience and rebuilding in the community. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. For current information, contact the memorial at (405) 235-3313 or visit oklahomacitiynationalmemorial.org.

The Survivor Tree, an American elm that stood on the Murrah Building grounds and was severely damaged in the blast, was preserved and replanted at the memorial. It has since recovered and produces new growth each spring, serving as a symbol of resilience for many visitors.

Historical Context in Oklahoma City

The bombing fundamentally changed how Oklahoma City thought about security, public space, and civic identity. Downtown Oklahoma City, which had experienced economic decline through the 1980s and early 1990s, became a site of national mourning and, eventually, recovery and renewal. The memorial and museum have drawn visitors from around the world and become central to how the city remembers the event.

Annual remembrance ceremonies occur on April 19. The Survivor Tree is illuminated each evening at dusk year-round, with the lights switched on by survivors and family members of victims.

Related Questions

Where can I learn more about the victims? The Oklahoma City National Memorial's museum and website both provide detailed information about those killed and injured, including personal biographies and photographs.

Is the Oklahoma City bombing site accessible to the public? Yes, the memorial grounds are open daily and free to access; the museum requires paid admission but the outdoor reflecting pool and grounds are available without cost.