30 events with tag "disaster"
1250 BC
ID: 3632
Megadrought begins in Eastern Mediterranean - 150-300 year drought starts, worst of entire Bronze Age period
ID: 3632
1225 BC
ID: 3633
Earthquake storm begins - 50-year period of major seismic activity across Mediterranean, destroying cities
ID: 3633
413 BC
ID: 251
Sicilian Expedition ends in disaster - entire Athenian force destroyed, 40,000 men lost
ID: 251
406 BC
ID: 258
Battle of Arginusae - Athens wins but executes generals for not saving drowning sailors
ID: 258
390 BC
ID: 2651
Gauls sack Rome - Brennus defeats Romans at Allia, only Capitol holds out (geese wake guards), 'Vae victis' - woe to conquered
ID: 2651
217 BC
ID: 2664
Battle of Lake Trasimene - Hannibal ambushes Roman army in fog, 15,000 Romans killed, Fabius becomes dictator
ID: 2664
216 BC
ID: 2665
Battle of Cannae - Hannibal's double envelopment destroys Roman army, 70,000 dead, worst defeat in Roman history
ID: 2665
105 BC
ID: 2678
Battle of Arausio - Cimbri and Teutones destroy two Roman armies, 80,000 dead, worst defeat since Cannae
ID: 2678
105 BC
ID: 5378
Battle of Arausio disaster linked to Tolosa gold - Consul Caepio who stole temple gold loses 80,000 Romans to Cimbri, worst defeat since Cannae
ID: 5378
53 BC
ID: 2696
Battle of Carrhae - Crassus killed by Parthians, molten gold poured down throat (legend), triumvirate broken
ID: 2696
36 BC
ID: 4666
Mark Antony's failed Parthian campaign - loses 30,000 men retreating through Armenia
ID: 4666
9 BC
ID: 2726
Battle of Teutoburg Forest - Varus loses three legions to Germanic tribes, Augustus: 'Varus, give me back my legions!'
ID: 2726
79
ID: 5934
August 24, 79
Mount Vesuvius begins erupting - 1 PM, umbrella pine-shaped cloud rises 20 miles high, pumice rains on Pompeii
ID: 5934
532
ID: 4758
Nika Riots - chariot racing factions nearly overthrow Justinian, Theodora's courage saves throne
ID: 4758
636
ID: 4766
Battle of Yarmouk - Arabs defeat Byzantines, Syria and Palestine lost forever
ID: 4766
778
ID: 2894
Spanish campaign - Charlemagne crosses Pyrenees, besieges Zaragoza unsuccessfully, retreats
ID: 2894
1071
ID: 4776
Battle of Manzikert - Seljuk Turks capture Emperor Romanos IV, Anatolia lost, empire never recovers
ID: 4776
1147
ID: 189
Second Crusade launched by St. Bernard's preaching - will end in complete disaster
ID: 189
1176
ID: 4778
Battle of Myriokephalon - Manuel I's army destroyed, last attempt to recover Anatolia fails
ID: 4778
1187
ID: 200
July 4, 1187
Battle of Hattin - Saladin destroys Crusader army, captures True Cross, Jerusalem falls within months
ID: 200
1281
ID: 4747
Second Mongol invasion of Japan - larger kamikaze destroys 4,400 ships, 100,000 troops
ID: 4747
1314
ID: 2424
June 24, 1314
Battle of Bannockburn - Robert the Bruce crushes Edward II's army, Scottish independence secured
ID: 2424
1347
ID: 34
Black Death arrives in Europe - will kill 1/3 of population
ID: 34
1348
ID: 2440
Black Death reaches England - kills third of population, labor shortage transforms society
ID: 2440
1348
ID: 5112
Black Death devastates Venice - kills 60% of population (about 60,000 people), temporary economic collapse
ID: 5112
1526
ID: 5557
August 29, 1526
Battle of Mohács - Ottomans annihilate Hungarian army, King Louis II drowns fleeing, kingdom partitioned
ID: 5557
1666
ID: 2221
Great Fire of London leads to Fire Court - special tribunal using summary procedure, early disaster law
ID: 2221
1845
ID: 5680
September 1845
Irish Potato Famine begins - Phytophthora infestans destroys crops, one million die, two million emigrate
ID: 5680
1900
ID: 4724
Boxer Rebellion - anti-foreign uprising, Eight-Nation Alliance invades Beijing
ID: 4724
1986
ID: 2040
Chernobyl disaster - German environmental movement gains political power
ID: 2040