~445 million years agoNatural Disasters
End-Ordovician Mass Extinction
The first of the "Big Five" mass extinctions wiped out an estimated 85% of marine species.
Global
3 events in this category
The first of the "Big Five" mass extinctions wiped out an estimated 85% of marine species.
The retreat of glaciers marked the end of the Pleistocene and the dawn of human civilization.
Mount Vesuvius erupted catastrophically, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under volcanic ash.