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Natural Disasters

16 events across all eras

War & ConflictPolitics & GovernanceScience & TechnologyExploration & DiscoveryArt & CultureReligion & PhilosophyEconomics & TradeNatural DisastersSocial MovementsMedicine & Health
~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.

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~10,000 BCENatural Disasters

End of the Last Ice Age

The retreat of glaciers marked the end of the Pleistocene and the dawn of human civilization.

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August 24, 79 CENatural Disasters

Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius erupted catastrophically, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under volcanic ash.

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August 24, 79 CENatural Disasters

The Eruption of Mount Vesuvius — Pompeii Destroyed

Mount Vesuvius erupted catastrophically, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under volcanic ash and preserving them as time capsules of ancient life for nearly 2,000 years.

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January 23, 1556Natural Disasters

The 1556 Shaanxi Earthquake — The Deadliest in History

A massive earthquake struck China's Shaanxi province, killing an estimated 830,000 people — the deadliest earthquake in recorded history.

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August 27, 1883Natural Disasters

The Krakatoa Eruption — The Sound Heard Around the World

The volcanic island of Krakatoa exploded with a force equivalent to 13,000 nuclear bombs, generating tsunamis that killed over 36,000 people and producing the loudest sound in recorded history.

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April 18, 1906Natural Disasters

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

A massive earthquake and resulting firestorm destroyed 80% of San Francisco, killing over 3,000 people and reshaping American understanding of seismic risk and urban disaster.

AmericasRead more →
1931Natural Disasters

The 1931 China Floods — The Deadliest Natural Disaster in Modern History

Catastrophic flooding of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Huai rivers killed between 1 and 4 million people in China — the deadliest natural disaster of the 20th century.

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April 26, 1986Natural Disasters

The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, releasing 400 times more radiation than the Hiroshima bomb and turning a city into a ghost town.

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December 26, 2004Natural Disasters

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

A massive undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami that devastated coastlines across the Indian Ocean, killing over 230,000 people — with Thailand's tourist beaches among the hardest hit.

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August 29, 2005Natural Disasters

Hurricane Katrina Devastates New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast and catastrophically flooded New Orleans after levees failed, killing over 1,800 people and exposing deep inequalities in American disaster response.

AmericasRead more →
March 11, 2011Natural Disasters

The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

A tsunami triggered three nuclear meltdowns at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant, reigniting the global debate over nuclear energy and leading several countries to abandon it.

AsiaRead more →
April 25, 2015Natural Disasters

The 2015 Nepal Earthquake

A devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people, destroying ancient temples, and triggering an international humanitarian response.

AsiaRead more →
2023Natural Disasters

Global Temperature Crosses 1.5 Degrees

The global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time in recorded history, breaching the Paris Agreement's aspirational limit.

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January 7, 2025Natural Disasters

The 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires

The Palisades and Eaton fires tore through Los Angeles County, killing 31 people, destroying 18,000 buildings, and becoming the most destructive wildfire disaster in California history.

AmericasRead more →
August 26, 2026Natural Disasters

The 2026 Nepal Floods — Glacial Collapse in the Himalayas

A glacial collapse on Langtang Lirung triggered catastrophic flash floods along the Trishuli River in Nepal, killing over 1,300 people and displacing tens of thousands — a disaster linked to climate change.

AsiaRead more →
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