Ethnic Armenians watching closely for signs of formal genocide recognition by US President Biden Armenians wonder if Ottoman Turkey’s crimes set a precedent for subsequent mass killings Updated 23 April 2021 April 23, 2021 19:49 DUBAI: Armenians mark April 24 each year as a day of sorrow. It was on this date in 1915 when the Ottoman Empire launched the first in a brutal succession of atrocities against the ethnic group living under its dominion, going on to kill more than 1 million and driving many more into exile. To this day, modern Turkey refuses to acknowledge the crimes committed during the twilight of the ancient regime.