2015 Event The death toll rises to 104 from a massive explosion three days ago at a warehouse containing hazardous chemicals in the port of Tianjin, China; 720 were also injured in the disaster 2015 Event Aid response to the Nepal earthquake has been hindered due to runway damage at the country's main airport in Kathmandu, requiring airport closure to large jets; the death toll from the disaster has risen to over 7,000 2015 Event A 6.7-magnitude aftershock sets off new avalanches on Mt. Everest and frightens victims of yesterday's devastating earthquake in Nepal; Google executive Dan Fredinburg was one of at least 17 climbers on Mt. Everest who died in yesterday's disaster 2013 Event Amidst criticism for its lack of help in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, China's 'Peace Ark', a 14,000-ton navy hospital ship, is sent to the Philippines to help its relief efforts'; the country also sent an emergency medical team and a disaster relief team from the Chinese Red Cross 2013 Event Japan reports on the International Nuclear Event Scale that they've upgraded the leak of radioactive water at the Fukushima nuclear disaster site to Level 3, a 'serious incident' 2013 Event 'Panorama,' a BBC documentary series airing unseen footage from the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, casts doubt on medical evidence provided from testimony in the case 2012 Event Mexico's state, Veracruz, experiences a natural disaster when Hurricane Ernesto makes landfall, killing at least three people 2012 Event A drought spreading through the United States leads to over 1,000 counties declared natural disaster areas 2012 Event Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the Cabinet of Japan approves a bill placing a 40-year cap on the life of nuclear reactors 2011 Event The oil spill from MV Rena, the ship stranded off the coast of Tauranga, New Zealand, becomes the country's worst environmental disaster 2011 Event Heavy fighting continues in Libya's heavily besieged city of Sirte; growing fears of humanitarian disaster builds 2011 Event The 25th anniversary of the disaster in Chernobyl is commemorated by the Ukraine 2011 Event Following the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, Japan raises the crisis level to 7, equal to the disaster in Chernobyl 2011 Event Tropical cyclone Anthony lands in Bowen in Queensland, Australia, forcing a disaster zone declared in areas still recovering from the 2010-2011 Queensland floods 2010 Event The death toll from the Gansu province flooding and landslide disaster rises to 702 with 1,100 people missing 2010 Event BP CEO Tony Hayward testifies before the U.S. about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster at the Deepwater Horizon rig that has caused the worst oil spill in U.S. history 2010 Event In response to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, BP agrees to finance a $20 billion fund to compensate those whose livelihood has been damaged 2010 Event Economic losses mount and class action lawsuits are filed as the U.S. Coast Guard plans a controlled burn to remove spilled oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster 2005 Event Shuttle Discovery STS-114 launches, first flight since Columbia disaster 1994 Event Ship disaster near Ranong Thailand, kills 200 1989 Event Union Carbide agrees to pay $470 mill damages for Bhopol disaster 1986 Event Rogers Comm report on Challenger disaster blames Morton Thiokol 1986 Event Chernobyl, U.S.S.R. site of world's worst nuclear power plant disaster 1986 Event Worst nuclear disaster, 4th reactor at Chernobyl U.S.S.R. explodes, 31 die 1986 Death Christa McAuliffe, astronaut, dies in Challenger disaster 1986 Death Ellison S. Onizuka, born in Hawaii, Major USAF/Astronaut, dies in Challenger disaster 1986 Death Francis R Scobee, Wash, USAF/astronaut, dies in Challenger disaster 1986 Death Judith Arlene Resnik, Akron Oh, astr, dies in Challenger disaster 1986 Death Ronald E McNair, Lake City SC, astr, dies in Challenger disaster 1985 Event India files suit against Union Carbide over Bhopal disaster 1979 Event Tanker Burmah Agate off Galveston Bay, Texas, spills 10.7 m gallons of oil, in US's worst oil spill disaster 1977 Event 583 die in aviation's worst disaster KLM-Pan Am 747 crash on Tenerife 1975 Event Worst motor vehicle disaster in U.K.; bus full of elderly women plunges Dibble's Bridge Yorkshire, killing 38 1974 Event World's worst air disaster, Turkish DC-10 crashes in Paris (346 die) 1972 Event Hurricane Agnes is costliest natural disaster in American history 1972 Birthday Busta Rhymes, born in Brooklyn, New York, born Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., rapper, songwriter, actor, albums include, 'The Coming', 'When Disaster Strikes' 1965 Event NL adopts emergency team replacement plan to restock any club struck by disaster 1963 Event Worst Canadian air disaster kills 118 in Montreal 1960 Event Disaster on U.S.S.R. (Baikonoer) launch pad, kills missile expert Nedelin and team (165 die-unconfirmed); U.S.S.R. claims killed in plane crash 1956 Event Mine disaster in Quaregnon Belgium, 8 die 1950 Birthday Ronald E McNair, Lake City, South Carolina, astr, STS-41B, 51L-Challenger disaster 1950 Event Belgium mine disaster at Borinage, 39 die 1949 Birthday Judith Arlene Resnik, born in Akron, Ohio, ast, STS-41D, 51L-Chal disaster 1946 Birthday Ellison S. Onizuka, born in Hawaii, Major USAF/astronaut, STS-51C, 51L-Chal disaster 1945 Birthday Michael J. Smith, born in Beaufort, North Carolina, Commander USN, astronaut, 51L-Challenger disaster 1939 Birthday Francis R. Scobee, Wash, USAF/astronaut, STS-41C, 51L-Chal disaster 1926 Event Train disaster at Wassenaar, Netherlands, 4 die 1924 Event 119 die in Benwood West Virginia coal mine disaster 1916 Event Worst train disaster ever (Modane France-543 killed) 1915 Event 1st submarine disaster; a U.S. F-4 sank off Hawaii, killing 21 1874 Event 1st recorded dam disaster in U.S. (Williamsburg Mass) 1853 Event 1st major U.S. rail disaster kills 46 in Norwalk, Connecticut 1570 Event Netherlands hit by flood disaster, 1,000s killed
