December 26
2015
The 2015 Garland Tornado
On December 26, 2015, a powerful EF4 tornado ravaged Garland, Texas, leaving a trail of destruction. This tornado was part of a larger outbreak that shocked the southern United States. Read more
2004
The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
A colossal natural disaster, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, struck on December 26, 2004, causing catastrophic loss of life and devastation across 14 countries. Read more
1902
Shiloh Baptist Church stampede
On December 26, 1902, a packed holiday service at Shiloh Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, ended in a sudden panic at a narrow exit. A crush at the stairway killed more than a hundred worshipers and injured many others. Contemporary reports vary, but the commonly cited toll is about 115 fatalities; newspaper and coroner accounts place deaths in the rough range of 100–120. The disaster exposed how overcrowded assembly spaces and limited egress could turn a church service into a catastrophe and left a grieving community to bury its dead and press for safer buildings. Read more
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