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Today in History: Neda Agha-Soltan's Death Becomes Internet's Most Watched

6/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On June 20 2009, Iranian philosophy student Neda Agha-Soltan was shot in the chest while walking home from a Tehran protest after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed election victory; a by-stander’s video of her collapse spread rapidly online, turning her death into the most widely witnessed killing in history and symbolizing the Green Movement.

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Story summary

On June 20 2009, Iranian philosophy student Neda Agha-Soltan was shot in the chest while walking home from a Tehran protest after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed election victory; a by-stander’s video of her collapse spread rapidly online, turning her death into the most widely witnessed killing in history and symbolizing the Green Movement.