December 2
2016
Ghost Ship warehouse fire
On the night of December 2, 2016, a converted industrial warehouse at 1305 31st Avenue in East Oakland caught fire during an underground music event. The blaze spread through improvised living and performance spaces, killing 36 people, destroying artworks and homes, and triggering years of criminal and civil proceedings as the city and arts community confronted questions about safety, affordability, and accountability. Read more
1977
1977 Libyan Arab Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 crash
On December 2, 1977, a Libyan Arab Airlines Tupolev Tu‑154 on approach to Benina (Benghazi) descended below its safe profile in poor visibility and struck terrain short of the runway. The airframe was destroyed and the majority of those aboard were killed. Investigators cited controlled flight into terrain amid marginal weather, approach aid limitations, and crew situational factors as contributing problems — a tragedy that pushed attention toward training, procedures, and airport navigation systems in Libya. Read more
1943
Air raid on Bari
On the night of December 2, 1943, German bombers struck the congested Allied port of Bari on Italy’s Adriatic coast. The raid sank and damaged a dozen ships, started fires that turned the harbor into a burning sea, and — unknown to most rescuers and doctors — ruptured a clandestine cargo of sulfur mustard aboard the U.S. freighter SS John Harvey. Immediate casualties from bombs and sinking ships were compounded by chemical injuries that bewildered caregivers and were shrouded in secrecy for years. Read more
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