The 1977 Tenerife Airport Disaster: Aviation's Deadliest Collision
Release Date: 11/09/2024
The Icelandic Volcano that Grounded Europe
Compact Disasters
In 2010, a volcanic eruption beneath an Icelandic glacier did something no government or crisis had ever achieved. It shut down European air travel. In this Compact Disasters episode, we explore how Eyjafjallajökull grounded millions, disrupted global supply chains, and revealed just how fragile modern systems really are. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #eyjafjallajokull #icelandvolcano #airtravel #volcanicash #compactdisasters #naturalhazards #geographyfacts #truehistory #modernhistory
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The Vasa Shipwreck
Compact Disasters
How does a warship sink within minutes of launch? In this Compact Disasters episode, we explore the sinking of the Vasa, Sweden’s most ambitious naval project, and how politics, pressure, and poor engineering sent it to the bottom of Stockholm harbour in 1628. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #vasashipwreck #swedishhistory #maritimedisaster #engineeringfailure #compactdisasters #truehistory #navalhistory #europeanhistory #historypodcast.
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The Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
Compact Disasters
Discover how a powerful earthquake triggered one of the most destructive avalanches in history, wiping entire towns from the map beneath Mount Huascarán in Peru. Listen now to this devastating story and the lessons it forced the world to learn. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #huascaran #peruhistory #andes #glacialhazards #cordillerablanca #compactdisasters #earthquakefacts #historypodcast #naturalhazards #geographyclass #truehistory
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The Huascarán Debris Avalanche
Compact Disasters
Discover how a powerful earthquake triggered one of the most destructive avalanches in history, wiping entire towns from the map beneath Mount Huascarán in Peru. Listen now to this devastating story and the lessons it forced the world to learn. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #huascaran #peruhistory #andes #glacialhazards #cordillerablanca #compactdisasters #earthquakefacts #historypodcast #naturalhazards #geographyclass #truehistory
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The Tangiwai Rail Disaster
Compact Disasters
Listen now to our Compact Disasters episode about the Tangiwai rail disaster, where nature struck without warning and a Christmas homecoming turned into a national tragedy. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #tangiwai #newzealandhistory #ruapehu #raildisaster #compactdisasters #volcanichazards #lahar #nz #historypodcast #truehistory #geographyfacts
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The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004
Compact Disasters
On 26 December 2004, a powerful undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a devastating tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. In this episode, we revisit one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history — the Boxing Day Tsunami — to understand how a single seismic event killed over 230,000 people, displaced millions, and reshaped global disaster awareness forever. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #tsunami #boxingdaytsunami #2004disasters #indianocean #naturaldisaster #earthquake #disasterhistory #catastrophe #humanitariancrisis...
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The Sinking of the General Slocum
Compact Disasters
On a sunny morning in June 1904, a leisurely church outing turned to unspeakable tragedy when the General Slocum steamboat caught fire in New York’s East River. In just minutes, over a thousand lives—mostly women and children—were lost in one of America's deadliest maritime disasters. In this episode, we dive into what went wrong, how the city responded, and the haunting legacy left behind. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #generalslocum #steamboatdisaster #historicaltragedy #maritimedisaster #nychistory #1900samerica #eastiverfire #5minutedisasters...
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The Great Lisbon Earthquake
Compact Disasters
In 1755, on a calm All Saints’ Day morning, Lisbon was torn apart by one of the most powerful earthquakes in European history. What followed was a deadly cascade of destruction — collapsing buildings, a towering tsunami, and fires that burned the city for days. In this episode, we unpack how a single morning reshaped Lisbon, challenged Enlightenment thinking, and changed the way the world understands natural disaster risk. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #lisbonearthquake #1755disaster #tectonictragedy #historicaldisasters #tsunamihistory #earthquakefacts...
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The 1947 Texas City Disaster
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In April 1947, Texas City became the site of the deadliest industrial accident in American history. A ship loaded with ammonium nitrate exploded in the port, triggering a chain of blasts that devastated the city, killed hundreds, and left thousands injured. In this episode, we explore the build-up, the blast, and the staggering aftermath of a disaster so massive it registered on seismographs and changed safety regulations forever. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #texascitydisaster #1947explosion #industrialdisaster #ammoniumnitrate #texasdisasters #portaccident...
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The 2010 Haiti Earthquake
Compact Disasters
Just over a decade after the devastating 2010 quake, Haiti was struck again in 2020—reminding the world of its lingering vulnerability. In this episode, we revisit a country already struggling to recover and examine how a second major earthquake deepened the humanitarian crisis. With fragile infrastructure, limited emergency response, and rising political instability, the tremor wasn’t just geological—it was social, economic, and profoundly human. Visit our website: Find us on our social media sites: #haitiearthquake #naturaldisasters #2020quake #humanitariandisasters...
info_outlineIn the fourteenth episode of 5 Minute Disasters, we recount the tragic events of the 1977 Tenerife Airport disaster, the deadliest aviation accident in history. In just five minutes, we’ll take you through the sequence of miscommunications, dense fog, and procedural errors that led to two jumbo jets colliding on the runway, resulting in the deaths of 583 people. This episode explores the critical lessons learned from the disaster, which brought about major changes in aviation safety and communication protocols. Join us to discover how this catastrophe unfolded and its lasting impact on air travel worldwide.
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