An exploding cannon killed 6 people, including members of President John Tyler's cabinet.
All in Accidents
Plunge into Hell
It was on this day that 12-year-old Todd Domboski of Centralia, Pennsylvania fell into a hot, gaseous void caused by an underground coal fire.
The Louisville Sewer Disaster
Manhole covers whizzed through the air. Students were jolted out of their beds. Toilets erupted into fountains of raw sewage.
Margaret's Wild Ride
The pilot gunned the engine and took off, apparently not noticing that Margaret was still attached.
The Parachute Cape
It was on this day that an Austrian inventor fell to his death from the Eiffel Tower.
Mountain of the Dead
It was on this night that 9 Russian hikers lost their lives in a bizarre incident that remains one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries.
Black Brant Scare
This was the first and only incident in which a superpower activated its nuclear suitcase.
Death by Home Improvement
This bluesman had one of the most covered songs of all time.
Project Crested Ice
A bomber carrying four hydrogen bombs crashes, scattering radioactive debris across miles of sea ice.
The Palomares Incident
The accident dropped 4 hydrogen bombs on a small fishing village.
Sub vs Mountain
At about 2 in the morning the bow of the sub plowed into a wall of rock and mud.
Meltdown of SL-1
The only known fatal accident involving a nuclear reactor in America happened on this day.
The Ashtabula Horror
92 of 159 passengers would die when a wrought-iron bridge collapsed and the Pacific Express fell 70 feet into the frozen Ashtabula River.
Nancy Cruzan
The Cruzan Family's fight for their daughter's right to die helped raise awareness about the need for advanced health directives and living wills.
Sole Survivor
At 21,000 feet the flight ran into a severe thunderstorm and violent turbulence.
Silver Bridge Collapse
46 people died as cars and trucks plunged 100 feet into the near-freezing water of the Ohio River.
Catastrophic Fail
A Los Angeles reservoir crumbled apart and released 250,000,000 gallons of water into the surrounding neighborhoods.
John Kendrick's Final Salute
John Kendrick was a Cape Cod sea captain who lived an adventure-filled life.
The Flying Lawnmower Incident
A 40-pound airplane shaped like a lawnmower took off from the endzone and veered over the crowd.
Smoke on the Water
This was the night that the historic Montreux Casino on the shore of Lake Geneva, Switzerland burned to the ground.