earthquake

Today in History 12/07 (Long Island Massacre)

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Colin Ferguson (center) is led by Nassau County detectives to his arraignment December 8, 1993 (© Mike Albans/AP)(1993) Gunman opens fire on commuter train, killing six
Colin Ferguson pulls out a gun aboard a Long Island commuter train and begins shooting passengers as he walks down the aisle, killing six and injuring 19. Ferguson, who will represent himself at a bizarre trial, will be sentenced to six life terms without parole.
On December 7, 1993, a Long Island Rail Road train pulled into the Merillon Avenue station in Garden City, New York, when passenger Colin Ferguson pulled out a 9mm pistol and started firing at other passengers. He murdered 6 people and wounded 19 others before being stopped by other passengers. Ferguson’s trial was notable for a number of unusual developments, including his firing his defense counsel and insisting on representing himself and questioning his own victims on the stand.
Born: Jan 14, 1958 (age 60) · Kingston, Jamaica
Nationality: American
Spouse: Audrey Warren (m. 1986 – 1988)
Parents: May Ferguson (Mother) · Von Herman Ferguson (Father)
Education: Adelphi University · Nassau Community College · Calabar High School
Date: Dec 07, 1993

Mug shot of Colin Ferguson. by New York State Department of Correctional Services
Mug shot of Colin Ferguson. by New York State Department of Correctional Services
wiki/Long_Island_Rail_Road_massacre
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(1993) Gunman opens fire on commuter train, killing six.
Also on this day,

1941 | Pearl Harbor bombed as Japanese warplanes attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
In a surprise, early-morning attack, 360 Japanese warplanes bomb the US Pacific naval fleet and in a two-hour assault kill about 2,400 Americans — almost half the casualties are aboard the battleship USS Arizona. The US will declare war on Japan the following day.
1963 | Sports fans watch it all over again for the first time as instant replay debuts
In the Army-Navy football game, TV viewers get something they’ve never seen before: an instant replay of the Army quarterback’s touchdown. Worried this programming innovation will confuse viewers, the announcer explains, “Ladies and gentlemen, Army has not scored again.”
1988 | Massive earthquake wipes out parts of Armenia
An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale devastates the Republic of Armenia in the USSR. Spitak, a town with about 25,000 residents, is flattened beyond repair, and the death toll throughout Armenia will reach about 45,000 people. The tragedy hits as the Soviet Union is suffering an economic decline, so aid and recovery will be slow.

Today in History 12/07/17

Smoke rises from the battleship USS Arizona as it sinks during a Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (© AP)(1941) Japanese warplanes attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
In a surprise, early-morning attack, 360 Japanese warplanes bomb the US Pacific naval fleet and in a two-hour assault kill about 2,400 Americans — almost half the casualties are aboard the battleship USS Arizona. The US will declare war on Japan the following day.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, led to the United States' entry into World War II. The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI, and as Operation Z during its planning.
Date: Dec 07, 1941

Attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese planes view
Photograph taken from a Japanese plane during the torpedo attack on ships moored on both sides of Ford Island shortly after the beginning of the Pearl Harbor attack. View looks about east, with the supply depot, submarine base and fuel tank farm in the right center distance. A torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center). Other battleships moored nearby are (from left): Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee (inboard of West Virginia), Oklahoma (torpedoed and listing) alongside Maryland, and California. On the near side of Ford Island, to the left, are light cruisers Detroit and Raleigh, target and training ship Utah and seaplane tender Tangier. Raleigh and Utah have been torpedoed, and Utah is listing sharply to port. Japanese planes are visible in the right center (over Ford Island) and over the Navy Yard at right. U.S. Navy planes on the seaplane ramp are on fire. Japanese writing in the lower right states that the photograph was reproduced by authorization of the Navy Ministry.
wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
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Today in History 07/28 (Tangshan Earthquake)

People work to clear up ruins after an earthquake in Tangshan, China, on July 28, 1976 (© Sovfoto/UIG via Getty Images)(1976) Devastating earthquake strikes Tangshan, China
At 3:24 AM an earthquake hits Tangshan, an industrial center in northeastern China. The magnitude 7.8 quake levels the city and will cause over 240,000 deaths and more than 160,000 serious injuries. China’s government will turn down offers of help from outside nations.
The 1976 Tangshan earthquake, also known as the Great Tangshan earthquake, was a natural disaster resulting from a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that hit the region around Tangshan on July 28, 1976, at 3:42 in the morning. In minutes the city of Tangshan, an industrial city with approximately one million inhabitants, ceased to exist. Eight-five percent of the buildings in the city collapsed or were unusable, all services failed, and most of the highway and railway bridges collapsed or were seriously damaged. At least 242,000 people died, making this the third deadliest earthquake in recorded history.
Fatalities: 242,769
Date: Jul 28, 1976
Areas affected: People’s Republic of China
Depth: A: 12.2 km B: 16.7 km
Casualties: 242,769–700,000 dead (3rd deadliest earthquake of modern history)

1976 Tangshan Earthquake
1976 Tangshan earthquake
wiki/1976_Tangshan_earthquake
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(1976) Devastating earthquake strikes Tangshan, China.
Also on this day,

1935 | Stalwart of Allied air power, Boeing B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’, takes its first flight
Boeing sends its new four-engine bomber on a test flight, and a reporter dubs the behemoth, fitted out with multiple machine guns, the ‘flying fortress.’ Before a decade is over, the B-17 bomber will live up to that nickname, with extensive service in the skies over Europe and the Pacific in World War II.
1996 | Prehistoric remains of ‘Kennewick Man’ found on banks of the Columbia
A Paleoamerican skull is accidentally discovered near the Columbia River in Washington, and later, archaeologists will recover most of the skeleton of ‘Kennewick Man’ and date it to around 9,000 years old. Controversy will erupt over his possible ancestry to local Native Americans.
2000 | Kathie Lee Gifford says goodbye to ‘Live!’
After 15 years of bantering with Regis Philbin, Gifford says goodbye to her co-host and their morning TV audience to pursue acting and singing opportunities. The show will continue, with Kelly Ripa taking Gifford’s spot.

Today in History 07/28/17

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in flight in 1944 (© Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images)(1935) Stalwart of Allied air power takes its first flight
Boeing sends its new four-engine bomber on a test flight, and a reporter dubs the behemoth, fitted out with multiple machine guns, the 'flying fortress.' Before a decade is over, the B-17 bomber will live up to that nickname, with extensive service in the skies over Europe and the Pacific in World War II.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps. Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications. Although Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances.
Maximum speed: 287.01 mph (461.90 km/h)
Length: 74' 4" (22.66 m)
Wingspan: 104 feet (31.60 m)
Passengers: 10
Retired: 1968
Manufacturer: Boeing
World operators of the B-17
Military operators of the B-17
Civil operators of the B-17
Civil operators of the B-17

wiki/Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress
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