Disaster in History
Explore 147 historical moments related to disaster — from pivotal breakthroughs to world-changing events.
📅 20th Century(48)
RMS Titanic sinks
The RMS Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic Ocean after colliding with an iceberg, killing over 1,500 passengers and crew.
Great Molasses Flood strikes Boston
A massive storage tank bursts in Boston's North End, sending a deadly wave of molasses through city streets.
Wall Street Crash
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as Black Thursday, occurs. This stock market crash marked the beginning of a prolonged economic downturn worldwide.
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as Black Tuesday, marked the beginning of a major stock market decline.
Black Tuesday: Wall Street Crash begins
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as Black Tuesday, marked the beginning of a major economic downturn that led to the Great Depression.
Woodbridge train derailment
A train derailed while crossing a temporary wooden trestle in Woodbridge, New Jersey, resulting in 85 fatalities. This was a devastating transportation disaster.
Andreanof Islands earthquake strikes Hawaii
The Andreanof Islands earthquake struck Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands, causing significant damage and a destructive tsunami.
Munich air disaster
The aircraft carrying the Manchester United football team crashed while attempting to take off from Munich-Riem Airport. The disaster tragically killed 8 players and 23 people in total.
National Airlines Flight 2511 bombing
National Airlines Flight 2511, traveling from New York City to Miami, exploded in mid-air due to a bomb placed by an unknown party. All 34 people on board were killed.
Agadir earthquake devastates Morocco
A powerful earthquake strikes Agadir, Morocco, killing thousands and destroying much of the city.
Country Music Stars Die in Plane Crash
American country-music performers Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins were killed when their plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Camden, Tennessee.
Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crash
Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after taking evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision. All 84 people on board were killed.
BOAC Flight 911 Crashes Near Mount Fuji
BOAC Flight 911 disintegrated and crashed near Mount Fuji shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport. All 113 passengers and 11 crew members were killed.
Operation Babylift Plane Crash
During the Vietnam War, a U.S. Air Force plane crash-landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base while evacuating children from South Vietnam. The crash killed 78 children and 60 other people.
Washington D.C. Hostage Standoff
Twelve gunmen seized three buildings in Washington, D.C., taking 149 hostages. The standoff lasted 39 hours and ended with two deaths.
Kosmos 954 reentry
The Soviet nuclear-powered satellite Kosmos 954 burned up during atmospheric reentry, scattering radioactive debris across Canada's Northwest Territories.
Yuba County Five
Five men disappeared after attending a college basketball game in Chico, California. The bodies of four of them were discovered months later.
Varig Flight 967 disappears
Varig Flight 967 disappeared shortly after takeoff from Tokyo's Narita International Airport. The flight was en route to Rio de Janeiro.
Penmanshiel Tunnel collapse
The Penmanshiel Tunnel in Scotland collapsed during construction, killing two workers and leading to its abandonment.
Ash Wednesday bushfires
The Ash Wednesday bushfires devastated large areas of South Australia and Victoria, resulting in 75 deaths and 2,676 injuries.
West Bank Poison Gas Accusations
Palestinian girls in the West Bank reported breathing difficulties and strange odors, leading to accusations of poison gas attacks.
Assassination Attempt on Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Féin, was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt. The attack was carried out by Ulster Freedom Fighters in central Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Tropical Storm Domoina
Tropical Storm Domoina made landfall in southern Mozambique, causing some of the most severe flooding recorded in the region.
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic accident, leading to widespread radioactive contamination and long-term health and environmental consequences.
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its tenth mission, killing all seven crew members.
Herald of Free Enterprise Capsizing
The ferry Herald of Free Enterprise capsized while leaving the harbor of Zeebrugge, Belgium, resulting in the deaths of 193 people.
Sumgait pogrom
The Armenian community of Sumgait in Azerbaijan was the target of a violent pogrom.
Halabja Chemical Attack
On March 16, 1988, Iraqi forces attacked the Kurdish town of Halabja with chemical weapons, killing up to 5,000 people during the Iran–Iraq War.
Hillsborough disaster unfolds in Sheffield
A crowd crush at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield leads to one of the deadliest disasters in British sporting history.
United Airlines Flight 811
United Airlines Flight 811 experienced uncontrolled decompression after leaving Honolulu, blowing seats out of the aircraft and killing nine passengers.
Strangeways Prison riot begins
The longest prison riot in British history began at Strangeways Prison in Manchester, lasting for 25 days.
Warrington bombings
Two children were killed by the second of two Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb attacks in Warrington, England, on March 20, 1993.
Braer Storm reaches peak intensity
The Braer Storm, the strongest extratropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Atlantic, reached its peak intensity.
Hebron massacre
Israeli physician Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Palestinian Muslims praying at the Cave of the Patriarchs, killing 29 and wounding 125.
Selena Murdered
American singer-songwriter Selena, known as the "queen of Tejano music", was murdered by the president of her fan club. Her death deeply affected the Latino community.
Faucett Flight 251 Crash
In the deadliest aviation accident in Peruvian history, Faucett Flight 251 crashed on approach to Rodríguez Ballón International Airport. All 123 people aboard were killed.
Rhode Island oil spill
A tank barge and a tug grounded on a beach in Rhode Island, causing a spill of an estimated 828,000 U.S. gallons of home heating oil.
Silver Spring train collision
Eleven people died in a train collision in Silver Spring, Maryland, leading to new federal rules for passenger car design.
New Guinea Trench Earthquake and Tsunami
An 8.2 magnitude earthquake occurred in the New Guinea Trench on February 17, 1996, generating a tsunami that killed 108 people.
Quezon City Nightclub Fire
The deadliest fire in Philippine history occurred at a nightclub in Quezon City, causing 162 fatalities.
Heaven's Gate Cult Suicide
Police discovered the bodies of 39 members of the Heaven's Gate religious group in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The deaths were ruled an apparent cult suicide.
Tragedy of Otranto
The Italian Navy vessel Sibilla collided with the Albanian civilian vessel Kateri i Radës, causing it to sink and resulting in dozens of deaths.
Afghanistan earthquake
An earthquake registering 5.9 MW struck northern Afghanistan, triggering landslides that killed over 2,300 people and destroyed around 15,000 homes.
China Airlines Flight 676 crash
China Airlines Flight 676 crashed due to autopilot over-reliance while approaching Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, killing all 202 people on board.
Chamoli Earthquake
A powerful earthquake struck the foothills of the Himalayas, killing at least 100 people.
New Carissa oil spill
The Philippine-flagged freighter New Carissa ran aground near Coos Bay, Oregon, causing one of the worst oil spills in the state's history.
Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean
Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Ivory Coast shortly after takeoff. 169 people were killed in the disaster.
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crash
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California due to a malfunctioning horizontal stabilizer, killing all 88 people on board.
📅 21th Century(99)
September 11 attacks
Terrorists hijack four commercial airplanes, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon.
El Salvador earthquake
The first of two large earthquakes in the span of a month struck El Salvador, killing at least 944 people and destroying over 100,000 homes.
Gujarat Earthquake
An earthquake in the Indian state of Gujarat killed at least 20,000 people, injured 167,000 others and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes.
Selby rail crash
A high-speed train crash occurred near Selby in North Yorkshire, England, killing 10 and injuring 82.
Shijiazhuang Bombings
A series of bomb blasts in Shijiazhuang, China, on March 16, 2001, resulted in the deaths of 108 people.
Mount Nyiragongo Eruption
Mount Nyiragongo, a volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, began an eruption that killed hundreds and left about 120,000 people homeless.
Gujarat riots
Violent riots broke out in the Indian state of Gujarat, killing at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, over three days.
Religious violence in Gujarat
During a period of religious violence in Gujarat, India, mobs of Hindus attacked Muslims in Naroda Patiya and in Chamanpura, resulting in 166 deaths.
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
All seven crew members aboard Space Shuttle Columbia were killed when the orbiter disintegrated over Texas during reentry.
Flash Airlines Flight 604 Crash
Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashed shortly after departure from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, killing all 148 occupants on board.
Morecambe Bay cockle-gatherers drowned
Twenty-one cockle-gatherers drowned in Morecambe Bay, England, due to an incoming tide. This event led to the establishment of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.
Texas City refinery explosion
A fire and explosion at an oil refinery in Texas City killed 15 workers.
Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 Crash
An Antonov An-24 operated by the Slovak Air Force crashed in northern Hungary, killing 42 of the 43 people on board.
Methane explosion in Mexican coal mine
A methane explosion in a coal mine in Nueva Rosita, Mexico, trapped and killed 65 miners.
Seattle Rave Shooting
A gunman entered a Seattle rave afterparty, killing six and wounding two before committing suicide.
Adam Air Flight 574 crash
Adam Air Flight 574 crashed into the sea off Polewali, Indonesia, killing all 102 people on board. The crash was attributed to the pilots inadvertently disconnecting the autopilot.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force LED panic
Boston emergency officials mistook LED placards displaying Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters for improvised explosive devices, causing widespread panic.
Zahedan Bombings
The first of several bombings in Zahedan, Iran, killed 18 members of the Revolutionary Guards.
Charlotte Shaw drowns on Dartmoor
Fourteen-year-old English schoolgirl Charlotte Shaw drowned on Dartmoor, becoming the first person to die in connection with the annual Ten Tors challenge.
Super Tuesday tornado outbreak
Eighty-seven tornadoes occurred over the course of the Super Tuesday tornado outbreak across multiple U.S. states, causing 56 deaths and over $1 billion in damage.
Namdaemun Gate Arson
The Namdaemun gate in Seoul, South Korea's first National Treasure, was severely damaged by arson on February 10, 2008.
Northern Illinois University Shooting
A gunman opened fire into a crowded lecture hall at Northern Illinois University, killing five people and injuring twenty-one others.
B-2 Spirit crash in Guam
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber crashed on the runway shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
US Airways Flight 1549 lands on Hudson River
A miracle on the Hudson occurred when a commercial airliner made an emergency landing on the Hudson River after striking a flock of geese.
Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash
Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashes into a house in Clarence Center, New York, killing all 49 people on board and the house's occupant.
Madagascar Riots
Rioting broke out in Antananarivo, Madagascar, sparking a political crisis that led to the deposal of President Marc Ravalomanana.
USS Port Royal runs aground
The United States Navy guided missile cruiser Port Royal ran aground on a coral reef off the island of Oahu.
Bangladesh Rifles mutiny
Members of the Bangladesh Rifles began a mutiny at their headquarters in Pilkhana, resulting in 82 deaths.
Situ Gintung dam failure
A failure of the dam holding Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Tangerang, Indonesia, caused floods that killed at least 100 people.
Lahore Police Academy Attack
The Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan, was attacked by 12 gunmen. The incident resulted in 16 deaths and 95 injuries.
Binghamton Shooting
A gunman opened fire at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York, killing thirteen people and wounding four before committing suicide.
Pakistan volleyball game bombing
A suicide bomber killed 105 spectators at a volleyball game in the Lakki Marwat District of Pakistan. The attack occurred on New Year's Day.
Earthquakes strike Chile during presidential inauguration
During the inauguration of Chilean president Sebastián Piñera, earthquakes struck the O'Higgins Region, causing widespread damage.
Sinking of ROKS Cheonan
The South Korean warship ROKS Cheonan sank in the Yellow Sea after an explosion, allegedly caused by a North Korean torpedo. 46 sailors lost their lives.
Halle Train Collision
Two passenger trains collided in Halle, Belgium, when one driver failed to stop at a red signal. The collision resulted in 19 deaths and 171 injuries.
Eyjafjallajökull eruption begins
Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland began a series of volcanic events on March 20, 2010, which later disrupted air travel across Europe.
Moscow Metro Bombings
Islamist separatists of the Caucasus Emirate detonated two bombs on the Moscow Metro, killing 40 people and injuring 102 others.
Haiti Earthquake
An earthquake registering 7.0 Mw struck Haiti, causing widespread destruction. The disaster killed more than 100,000 people.
Jos Riots
The first spate of violence between Muslims and Christians began in Jos, Nigeria, resulting in over 200 deaths.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 Crash
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after takeoff from Beirut, Lebanon. All 90 people on board were killed.
Pune bombing
A terrorist bombing at a bakery popular among foreigners in Pune, India, killed 17 people and injured 60 others.
Madeira floods
Severe flooding and mudslides on the island of Madeira, Portugal, killed 51 people on February 20, 2010.
Alexandria church bombing
A suicide bombing occurred outside a Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, Egypt, following a New Year service. The attack killed 23 people.
Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Japan triggers a devastating tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Iran Air Flight 277 crash
Iran Air Flight 277 crashed near Urmia Airport, Iran, in poor weather conditions. 78 of the 105 people on board were killed.
Christchurch earthquake
An earthquake registered 6.3 ML struck Christchurch, New Zealand, causing 185 deaths and significant damage.
New Zealand Hot Air Balloon Crash
A hot air balloon flight from Carterton, New Zealand, collided with a power line while landing, causing it to crash and killing all eleven people on board.
Costa Concordia disaster
The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground on a reef and capsized off Isola del Giglio, Tuscany.
Port Said Stadium Riot
Following an Egyptian Premier League match, fans rioted and attacked supporters, resulting in 74 deaths.
MV Rabaul Queen capsizes
The passenger ferry MV Rabaul Queen capsized and sank in rough conditions in the Solomon Sea, resulting in at least 88 deaths.
Once railway station disaster
A train crashed through a buffer stop at Once railway station in Buenos Aires, resulting in 51 deaths and over 700 injuries.
Szczekociny rail crash
Two passenger trains collided near Szczekociny, Poland, resulting in 16 deaths and 58 injuries.
Brazzaville arms dump blasts
A series of blasts occurred at an arms dump in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, killing at least 300 people and injuring 2,500 others.
2012 Oikos University shooting
A gunman shot at people inside Oikos University, a Korean Christian college in Oakland, California, leaving seven people dead and three injured.
Thane Building Collapse
A building collapsed on tribal land in Thane, Maharashtra, India, causing 74 deaths.
Chelyabinsk Meteor Explosion
A meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, producing a shock wave that injured about 1,500 people.
SCAT Airlines Flight 760 Crash
SCAT Airlines Flight 760 crashed near Almaty, Kazakhstan, killing all twenty-one people on board.
Pemex Executive Tower explosion
A gas leak beneath the Pemex Executive Tower in Mexico City triggered an explosion, resulting in at least 37 fatalities and 121 injuries.
Hazara Town bombing
A bomb hidden in a water tank exploded at a market in Hazara Town, Pakistan, killing at least 91 people and injuring 190 others.
Luxor hot air balloon crash
A hot air balloon crashed near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 people. This remains the deadliest ballooning disaster in history.
Thailand Refugee Camp Fire
A fire in Thailand destroyed a camp housing Burmese refugees, killing at least 37 people. The incident caused significant loss of life among the refugee population.
Buenos Aires Flash Floods
Flash floods in the northeastern section of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, resulted in the deaths of at least 100 people.
Moscow school shooting
Russia's first school shooting took place at School No. 263 in Moscow, resulting in the deaths of a teacher and a police officer.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Disappearance
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.
East Harlem gas explosion
A gas leak caused an explosion in East Harlem, New York City, destroying two apartment buildings and causing eight deaths.
Oso Landslide
A massive landslide in Oso, Washington, killed 43 people, engulfing a rural neighborhood. It marked the largest death toll for a standalone landslide in U.S. history.
Mozambique funeral beer poisoning
Contaminated beer served at a funeral in Tete Province, Mozambique, killed 75 people and made at least 230 others ill.
Los Llanos Air Base Crash
A jet fighter crashed at Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete, Spain, killing 11 people and injuring 21 others.
TransAsia Airways Flight 235 crash
Shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, the crew of TransAsia Airways Flight 235 shut down the wrong engine in response to a flameout, leading to a crash that resulted in 43 deaths.
Uherský Brod restaurant shooting
A gunman opened fire in a restaurant in Uherský Brod, Czech Republic, killing eight people before committing suicide.
Bardo National Museum Attack
Gunmen attacked the Bardo National Museum in Tunisia, resulting in the deaths of 24 people.
Germanwings Flight 9525 crash
The co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 deliberately crashed the aircraft in the French Alps on March 24, 2015. All 150 people on board were killed in the mass murder-suicide.
Garissa University College attack
Gunmen attacked Garissa University College in Kenya, killing 148 people and wounding 79 others.
Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary
Six elderly men burgled a safe-deposit facility in Hatton Garden, London, and stole items worth up to an estimated £14 million.
Bad Aibling train collision
Two commuter trains collided head-on at Bad Aibling in southeastern Germany, killing 12 people and injuring 85.
Flydubai Flight 981 crash
Flydubai Flight 981 crashed during an aborted landing at Rostov-on-Don Airport, Russia, killing all 62 people on board.
Turkish Airlines Flight 6491 crash
Turkish Airlines Flight 6491 crashed in Manas International Airport after overflying the runway, resulting in 39 deaths. The aftermath of the crash was pictured.
Quebec City Mosque Shooting
A lone gunman opened fire at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada, resulting in six fatalities and nineteen injuries.
Azure Window Collapse
The Azure Window, a natural limestone arch in Gozo, Malta, collapsed on March 8, 2017, during a storm.
Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crash
Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crashed shortly after take-off in Russia due to icing conditions, killing all 71 people on board.
Koszalin Escape Room Fire
A fire in an escape room in Koszalin, Poland, killed five teenagers.
Tlahuelilpan pipeline explosion
An oil pipeline explosion in Tlahuelilpan, Mexico, resulted in the deaths of 137 people. The incident occurred on January 17, 2023.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa International Airport due to a software fault, killing all 157 people on board.
Yancheng Chemical Plant Explosion
A major explosion at a chemical plant in Yancheng, China, killed 78 people and injured 640 others.
COVID-19 Pandemic Declared
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic.
Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash
A Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine people on board, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
Mob attacks the U.S. Capitol during election certification
Supporters of President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol in an effort to disrupt Congress as it certifies Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
Hlaingthaya Massacre in Myanmar
Burmese military and police forces killed at least 65 civilians during the Hlaingthaya massacre in Yangon. The victims included protestors against a recent coup d'état.
Bata Explosions
A series of four explosions occurred at a military barracks in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, causing at least 107 deaths.
Suez Canal obstruction
A container ship ran aground and obstructed the Suez Canal for six days.
East Palestine train derailment
A freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, releasing hazardous materials into the surrounding area.
Ciudad Juárez migrant center fire
Forty people were killed in a fire at a migrant detention facility in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
Belvidere Tornado Collapse
A tornado caused the collapse of a concert venue in Belvidere, Illinois, resulting in one death and 48 injuries.
Japan Airlines Flight 516 collision
While landing at Haneda Airport, Japan Airlines Flight 516 collided with a De Havilland Canada Dash 8. Five people were killed in the incident.
Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by the MV Dali container ship. Six people were killed in the disaster.
Crocus City Hall Attack
A bombing and mass shooting at Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Russia, killed at least 145 people and injured 551. This tragic event caused widespread casualties.
Hotel Fire in Kartalkaya, Turkey
A fire at a hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Turkey's Bolu Province resulted in 78 people killed.
2025 Potomac River mid-air collision victims
Multiple individuals died in a mid-air collision over the Potomac River in 2025.
Myanmar-Thailand Earthquake
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand, resulting in over 5,000 deaths.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the most important disaster events in history?
- Notable disaster events include: RMS Titanic sinks (1912), Great Molasses Flood strikes Boston (1919), Wall Street Crash (1929).
- How many disaster events are in the timeline?
- Our collection includes 147 historical entries related to disaster, spanning centuries of human history.
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