Today is Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Today in
Crime History

1989 - Bernhard H. Goetz was sentenced to one year in prison for possession of an unlicensed gun that he used to shoot four youths he claimed were about to rob him. He was freed the following September.

Today in
Disaster History

1908 - In Boyertown, PA, a fire at the Rhoads Opera House killed 170 people.

1915 - In Avezzano, Italy, 29,980 people were killed by an earthquake.

1969 - Near Los Angeles, CA, a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight crashed into Santa Monica Bay. 15 of the 45 people onboard were killed.

1970 - In Faleola, Western Samoa, a Polynesian Airlines flight crashed about one minute after takeoff. All 32 people onboard were killed.

1977 - In Alma Ata, Kazakastan, 96 people were killed when an Aeroflot flight exploded and crashed two miles short of the runway.

1982 - An Air Florida 737 crashed into the capital's 14th Street Bridge after takeoff and fell into the Potomac River. 78 people were killed.

1985 - In Ethiopia, an express train derailed and at least 428 were killed.

2001 - In El Salvador, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake killed about 850 people. About 185 mudslides were set off by the quake.

Today in
Death History

1962 - Ernie Kovacs died in a car crash in west Los Angeles, CA.





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