The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster began on 11 March 2011, when the Tōhoku earthquake, one of the strongest ever recorded, triggered a huge tsunami that flooded the nuclear power plant on Japan's northeast coast. The waves disabled the plant's power supply and cooling systems, leading to meltdowns in three reactors, hydrogen explosions and the release of radioactive material into the air and sea. Well over a hundred thousand people were evacuated from the area around the plant, and many have not returned. The accident was rated at level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, the same as the Chernobyl disaster. It led Japan to shut down its nuclear reactors temporarily, prompted a worldwide review of nuclear safety, and began a decommissioning process that will take decades.
Before and after
- from 15 February 2011 to 23 October 2011Libyan Civil War
- 15 February 2011War in the Sahel
- 22 February 2011February 2011 Christchurch earthquake
- 24 February 2011Launch of STS-133
- 11 March 2011Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
- 11 March 20112011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
- from 15 March 2011 to 8 December 2024Syrian Civil War
- from 19 March 2011 to 31 October 20112011 military intervention in Libya
- 23 March 2011Death of Elizabeth Taylor
More in Society, economy & sport
- 16 November 1945Founding of UNESCO
- 7 April 1948Founding of World Health Organization
- 1950Origins of Formula One
- 1959HIV/AIDS
- 9 September 1999Founding of African Union
- from 15 November 2019 to 5 May 2023COVID-19 pandemic
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 21st century.