On August 21, 1983, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., the leader of the opposition in the Philippines, was assassinated moments after returning home from a 3-year exile.

Aquino was shot and killed as he was being led down the steps of his plane at Manila International Airport by military personnel. The assassination was a major event in the Philippines and had a significant impact on the country's political landscape. It was widely believed that Aquino's assassination was carried out by agents of the government of President Ferdinand Marcos, who saw Aquino as a threat to his rule. The assassination sparked widespread protests and eventually led to the People Power Revolution in 1986, which resulted in the ouster of Marcos and the installation of Aquino's wife, Corazon Aquino, as President of the Philippines.