The Qayen earthquake was a major earthquake that struck Northern Iran's
Khorasan Province on May 10, 1997. The largest in the area since 1990,
it measured 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale and was centered
approximately 270 kilometers (170 mi) south of Mashhad on the village
of Ardekul. The third earthquake that year to cause severe damage, it
devastated the Birjand–Qayen region, killing 1,567 and injuring over
2,300. The earthquake—which left 50,000 homeless and damaged or
destroyed over 15,000 homes—was described as the deadliest of 1997 by
the United States Geological Survey. Some 155 aftershocks caused
further destruction and drove away survivors. The earthquake was later
discovered to have been caused by a rupture along a fault that runs
underneath the Iran–Afghanistan border. Damage was eventually
estimated at $100 million, and many countries responded to the
emergency with donations of blankets, tents, clothing, and food. Rescue
teams were also dispatched to assist local volunteers in finding
survivors trapped under the debris. The destruction around the
earthquake's epicenter was, in places, almost total; this has been
attributed to poor construction practices, and imparted momentum to a
growing movement for changes in building codes. With 1 in 3,000 deaths
in Iran attributable to earthquakes, one expert has suggested that a
country-wide rebuilding program would be needed to address the ongoing
public safety concerns.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Qayen_earthquake>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1775:
American Revolutionary War: Delegates from the Thirteen
Colonies met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to convene the Second
Continental Congress, which would serve as the de facto national
government of the future United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Continental_Congress>
1824:
The National Gallery in London opened to the public, in the
former townhouse of the collector John Julius Angerstein.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Gallery>
1833:
Le Van Khoi broke out of prison to start a revolt against
Vietnamese Emperor Minh Mạng, primarily to avenge the desecration of
the grave of his adopted father Lê Văn Duyệt, former viceroy of the
southern part of Vietnam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%AA_V%C4%83n_Kh%C3%B4i_revolt>
1849:
A personal dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William
Macready in New York City devolved into a riot that left at least 25
dead and more than 120 injured.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astor_Place_Riot>
1941:
World War II: Nazi leader Rudolf Hess parachuted into Scotland,
claiming to be on a peace mission.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Hess>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
cymotrichous:
(anthropology) Having wavy hair.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cymotrichous>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The most important of my achievements, if you want to call them that,
was that I successfully introduced mystical ideas into pop culture, …
I wanted to save our culture from the stupidity and the bigotry and the
ignorance that threatened it.
--Donovan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Donovan>