Page 85 - 100 Events That Made History

The Titanic sinks
Though the RMS Titanic was dubbed “the
unsinkable ship,” the largest ocean liner
of its time hit an iceberg and sank in the
Atlantic Ocean just four days into its first
voyage. More than 1,500 people died in
the disaster, but the lessons learned led
to improved safety: Ships started carrying
enough LIFEBOATS for all passengers,
and they installed equipment to help
communicate better with other ships.

Only 706 people survived the Titanic.

The Bhola Cyclone
The deadliest tropical cyclone ever
recorded claimed up to 500,000 lives in
Bhola, East Pakistan, in 1970. The Pakistan
government’s relief effort was heavily
criticized, and soon fighting spread
throughout the province. After nearly nine
months of battling, during which India fought
alongside the rebels, Pakistan was defeated
and its former province became the
independent state of BANGLADESH.

A tidal wave accompanied
the cyclone’s 115 mph
(185 km/h) winds that
devastated the coast.

Chernobyl nuclear explosion
Nuclear power plants use the energy stored inside
atoms to generate power. In the early hours of
April 26, 1986, part of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union)
exploded, ripping the plant apart. RADIOACTIVE
MATERIAL, causing death and illness, was sent
high into the atmosphere, and eventually spread
as far as the UK. The disaster increased distrust
within the Soviet Union of the state authorities,
who sought to conceal the explosion.
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