Great Disasters

On a cold night in February, hundreds of people packed into The Station nightclub to see the band Great White playing. It would be a night none of them would forget - but the band didn't even finish their first song. Support the show

Mining has never been a job to take lightly. With the weight of the world above their heads, and only the lights they took underground with them, the miners of Monongah worked in dirty, cramped spaces for the Fairmont Coal Company. They trusted their bosses when they said the mine was safe. Support the show

In this episode, I'm looking at one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in history. It measures a 7 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index - dwarfing more famous events like Vesuvius in 79 AD (a 5), Krakatoa in 1883 (a 6) and Pinatubo in 1991 (another 6). This was an eruption so huge that its effects were felt all around the world. Support the show

There was a common quip that American troops in the Second World War were "oversexed, overpaid and over here", but they put their lives on the line just like every other nation involved. So how could around seven hundred of them be killed in one event and then forgotten? Support the show

The allure of the tallest mountain in the world drew hundreds of people to the slopes of Mount Everest. Even though they were prepared for a risky journey, they did not expect the disaster which befell them - and the country who welcomed them. Support the show

For the thousands of fans who flocked to Hillsborough Stadium for the FA Cup semi-final in 1989, it was supposed to be an enjoyable afternoon on the terraces. A series of errors turned it into a day of unforgettable tragedy. Support the show

Shortly after five am on the 18th April 1906, San Francisco was rudely awoken by a major earthquake. It was only the first part of a double tragedy; fire then swept through the city leaving only destruction in its wake. Support the show

The flu pandemic of 1918 was not like other outbreaks of influenza. It attacked the young and healthy, not just the infirm, and swept the globe to create a deadly outbreak of unprecedented proportions. It was called the Spanish Flu, and even in the wake of the Great War which preceded it, it was terrifying. Support the show

Air France Flight 358 was a transatlantic journey from France to Canada with over three hundred people on board. When it careened off the end of the runway on landing and caught fire, creating a huge blaze that burned for two hours, everyone feared the worst. But the worst didn't come; everyone on board got out alive. Support the show

The sinking of the Titanic is probably one of the best known disasters in the world, but even over a century later it still holds a fascination for many. The people of Belfast are still proud of her, and people all around the world still flock to see the remnants and souvenirs which have been brought to the surface. Support the show

The sinking of the Titanic is probably one of the best known disasters in the world, but even over a century later it still holds a fascination for many. The people of Belfast are still proud of her, and people all around the world still flock to see the remnants and souvenirs which have been brought to the surface. (Part Two) Support the show

Londoners had been accustomed to "peasouper" fogs for centuries, but the one that descended in December 1952 was worse than usual. It was deadly; killing people in their thousands.  Support the show

In the early hours of the 5th September, 1972, eight armed gunmen broke into the apartments of sleeping Israeli athletes and coaches, taking them hostage and beginning a series of events which would turn the Olympics of Peace into the Olympics of Horror. Support the show

Introducing the Great Disasters podcast, I look at what makes us want to look at a disaster, and how that fascination can be used to make the world a safer place. Support the show