June 13
2012
13 June 2012 Iraq attacks
On June 13, 2012, a coordinated wave of bombings, roadside explosives and shootings struck multiple cities across Iraq — most heavily in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Mosul, Baqubah, Taji and Iskandariya — killing roughly 90–110 people and wounding several hundred. The attacks came during a fragile post‑2011 security transition and were widely attributed to Sunni extremist networks tied to al‑Qaeda in Iraq. Read more
1997
Uphaar Cinema fire
On the evening of June 13, 1997, smoke from an electrical fault spread through the Uphaar Cinema in Green Park, New Delhi, as a packed audience watched the film Border. Locked and obstructed exits turned hallways into traps; 59 people died—mostly from smoke inhalation—and scores were injured. The disaster triggered years of litigation, tightened scrutiny of fire-safety enforcement, and a long struggle by victims' families for accountability. Read more
1944
V-1 flying bomb campaign (Vergeltungswaffe 1)
Beginning on June 13, 1944, Nazi Germany launched the V-1 — a pulsejet‑powered “flying bomb” nicknamed the buzz bomb or doodlebug — in an attempt to terrorize and disrupt Britain and later Allied ports. The campaign forced fast, improvised defenses (Operation Diver), sustained attacks on launch infrastructure (Operation Crossbow), and a brutal learning curve in both technology and civil protection. Roughly 9,000–10,000 V‑1s were produced and launched; British wartime figures record about 6,184 killed and 17,981 injured from attacks on the United Kingdom. The campaign reshaped air‑defence tactics and fed postwar missile research. Read more
1917
Ashton-under-Lyne munitions explosion (National Filling Factory No. 2 explosion)
On 13 June 1917 a massive accidental detonation tore through National Filling Factory No. 2 on the outskirts of Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. The blast — one of several wartime filling-factory disasters — killed 43 people, injured about 126 others, destroyed workshop blocks and shattered the quiet of a town whose women had come to fill shells for the Western Front.
Read moreStay in the Loop!
Become a Calamity Insider and get exclusive Calamity Calendar updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Thanks! You're now subscribed.
Explore more events in June
Jun 30
The 2021 Tiger Fire
The Tiger Fire, igniting on June 30, 2021, in the rugged and wildfire-prone Bradshaw Mountains near Crown King, Arizona, rapidly grew to over 16,000 acres. Despite its vast spread, the fire resulted in no human casualties, thanks to significant firefighting efforts and timely evacuations. This account provides a detailed timeline of the event, the aftermath, and ongoing recovery efforts, highlighting the community’s resilience and the lessons learned for future wildfire management.
Read more
Jun 24
Surfside Condominium Collapse
In the early hours of June 24, 2021, a large section of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, collapsed without warning. The disaster killed 98 people, making it one of the deadliest building collapses in U.S. history. The tragedy exposed deep issues of building safety, deferred repairs, and regulatory oversight, leading to sweeping changes in inspection practices and ongoing investigations into the causes of the collapse.
Read more
Jun 20
Linea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 (June 1956)
On June 20, 1956, a Lockheed Constellation operating as Línea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 departed Idlewild Airport (now JFK) for Caracas. During the early en route phase near New York airspace the flight encountered a fatal in‑flight emergency and crashed; the airliner was destroyed and all aboard were killed. Investigators from the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board and airline representatives undertook a formal inquiry, though some details about the exact crash location and a definitive public account remain ambiguous in secondary sources.
Read more