2011 Event The most active volcano in Iceland, Grimsvotn, erupts and triggers 50 small earthquakes 2009 Event Internet traffic reaches unprecedented levels after entertainer Michael Jackson's death triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief 2007 Event 8.1 earthquake triggers tsunami in the Solomon Islands 1929 Event Black Tuesday, Stock Market crashes triggers Great Depression 1894 Event French officer Alfred Dreyfus court-martialed for treason, triggers worldwide charges of anti-Semitism (Dreyfus later vindicated) 1848 Event President Polk triggers Gold Rush of '49, confirms California gold discovery
