earthquake

Today in History 07/28 (Tangshan Earthquake)

Leave a Comment
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
4.13.j18

(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
4.4.j17