On March 25, 1975, the King of Saudi Arabia, the country with the largest proven oil reserves in the world (and mostly highly accessible reserves at that) was assassinated by his own nephew. A key (sort of) ally of the United States in the Arab/Islamic world, Saudi Arabia was then and is now of enormous importance on the world stage.
Digging Deeper
King Faisal had taken the throne by forcing his own brother, King Saud, into a toothless role as King while Faisal acted as regent, and finally forcing Saud to abdicate in favor of Faisal in 1964. Saud had assumed the throne in 1953 when his father, King Abdulaziz, died. Abdulaziz had gone about conquering Saudi Arabia from 1902 until he established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. The discovery and exploitation of oil reserves took place under his reign.
