The Mysteries of History (March 27 Edition)
Good Friday Earthquake in Alaska; 747s Collide in the Canary Islands; North Sea Platform Capsizes
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana, 1905
1964 — Worst U.S Earthquake and Resulting Tsunami in History
public domain image from wikimedia commons
The strongest earthquake in U.S. history (registering 9.2 on the Richter scale) occurred on this date in 1964, causing a powerful tsunami. The result for humans was 131 lives lost and thousands more injured.
Downtown Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, was greatly affected, with thirty blocks of buildings destroyed or damaged.
Most of the deaths were caused by the tsunami, which reached 100 feet in height at times. Alaska wasn’t the only place affected by the quake’s resulting tsunami: as far south as the West Coast of the U.S., and as far west as Hawaii were hit by the towering walls of water, too.
Questions: What is the strongest earthquake ever recorded anywhere? What towns and villages in Alaska were also affected? How far is Hawaii from Alaska? How long did it take the tsunami to reach the States of Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii?
1977 — Worst Aviation Disaster in History in Tenerife (Canary Islands)
public domain images from wikimedia commons
The worst aviation disaster in history took place when two planes collided on the runway. Had it been two people walking, it would have been an “Oops! Sorry! I didn’t see you there” situation; had it been two cars, it could have been a fender-bender. But with two jumbo jets, 583 people ended up dead.
It happened in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, off the western coast of Africa, on this date in 1977. Of the 644 aboard the two planes, only the 61 in the front section of one of the jets survived.
Fog, miscommunication, and perhaps impatience, were the causes of the collision.
Questions: Why were the two planes in Tenerife in the first place? What language difficulty possibly led to confusion? Of the 61 survivors, how many of them were badly injured? Did any of them lose loved ones behind them in the plane?
1980 — North Sea Platform Capsizes
public domain image from wikimedia commons
123 offshore oil workers drowned in the North Sea, 235 miles east of Dundee, Scotland, on this date in 1980 (mostly Norwegians, but also some Americans and Brits).
Most of the 208 residents of the platform where the workers spent their non-working hours were watching a movie together while a gale-force storm was blowing outside. A large wave struck the platform, causing the structure to collapse. Within 15 minutes, it had capsized, which was not enough time to evacuate everyone. Norway’s and Great Britain’s militaries sent rescue helicopters, but the storm prevented them from being able to help.
Questions: What has been done to prevent similar storms from causing the collapse and capsizing of such structures?
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