Accidents & Disasters
Nature isn’t always peaceful and idyllic. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other powerful natural phenomena can have devastating consequences on communities and regions throughout the world. But nature is far from the only instigator of large-scale misfortune; human-made disasters and tragedies, both accidental and intentional, can cause significant misery, damage, and loss of life.
Accidents & Disasters Encyclopedia Articles
Featured Articles
Chile earthquake of 2010
Chile earthquake of 2010, severe earthquake that occurred on February 27, 2010, off the coast of south-central Chile, causing widespread damage on land and initiating a tsunami that devastated some coastal...
Chile mine rescue of 2010
Chile mine rescue of 2010, rescue of 33 workers from the San Jose gold and copper mine on October 13, 2010, 69 days after the mine’s collapse on August 5. The mine, owned by the San Esteban Primera Mining...
Challenger disaster
Challenger disaster, explosion of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986. The disaster claimed the lives of seven astronauts....
accident
Accident, unexpected event, typically sudden in nature and associated with injury, loss, or harm. Accidents are a common feature of the human experience and result in injury or permanent disability to...
influenza pandemic (H1N1) of 2009
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) of 2009, the first major influenza outbreak in the 21st century, noted for its rapid global spread, which was facilitated by an unusually high degree of viral contagiousness....
Titanic
Titanic, British luxury passenger liner that sank on April 14–15, 1912, during its maiden voyage, en route to New York City from Southampton, England, killing about 1,500 (see Researcher’s Note: Titanic)...
Eastland disaster
Eastland disaster, capsizing of the passenger liner SS Eastland on the Chicago River in Chicago on July 24, 1915. The event, which claimed at least 844 lives, ranks as one of the worst maritime disasters...
Ebola outbreak of 2014–16
Ebola outbreak of 2014–16, outbreak of Ebola virus disease that ravaged countries in western Africa in 2014–16 and was noted for its unprecedented magnitude. By January 2016, suspected and confirmed cases...
2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake, large-scale earthquake that occurred January 12, 2010, on the West Indian island of Hispaniola, comprising the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Most severely affected...
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina, tropical cyclone that struck the southeastern United States in late August 2005. The hurricane and its aftermath claimed more than 1,800 lives, and it ranked as the costliest natural...
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, severe natural disaster that occurred in northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. The event began with a powerful earthquake off the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s...
Great Famine
Great Famine, famine that occurred in Ireland in 1845–49 when the potato crop failed in successive years. The crop failures were caused by late blight, a disease that destroys both the leaves and the edible...
complex humanitarian emergency
Complex humanitarian emergency (CHE), type of disaster event that is caused by and results in a complicated set of social, medical, and often political circumstances, usually leading to great human suffering...
Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster, accident in 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union, the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation. The Chernobyl power station was situated...
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an April 20, 2010, explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig—located in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 41 miles (66 km) off...
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire, conflagration that began on October 8, 1871, and burned until early October 10, devastating an expansive swath of the city of Chicago. Chicago’s growth in the mid-19th century was unprecedented....
Great Smog of London
Great Smog of London, lethal smog that covered the city of London for five days, from December 5 to December 9, in 1952. It was caused by a combination of industrial pollution and high-pressure weather...