The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on December 26 2004. The earthquake triggered a series of lethal tsunamis that spread throughout the Indian Ocean, killing large numbers of people and devastating coastal communities across South and South East Asia, including parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and elsewhere. Initial estimates put the death toll at over 275,000 with thousands of others missing. However, recent analysis indicates the number of casualties were 186,983 dead and 42,883 missing, for a total of 229,866 affected. The catastrophe was one of the deadliest disasters in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was originally recorded as 9.0 (Richter scale), but has been upgraded to between 9.1 and 9.3. At this magnitude, it is the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. The plight of the many affected people and countries prompted a widespread humanitarian response. In all, the worldwide community donated more than US$7 billion in humanitarian aid to those affected by the earthquake. Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1864: Union General Ulysses S. Grant pulled his troops out of the Battle of Cold Harbor. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cold_Harbor) 1889: The Armagh rail disaster killed 88 people near Armagh, Northern Ireland. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster) 1964: Anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison by the South African government. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela) 1979: A human-powered aircraft named Gossamer Albatross flew across the English Channel. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross) _____________________ Wikiquote of the day: "If one is but secure at the foundation, he will not be pained by departure from minor details or affairs that are contrary to expectation. But in the end, the details of a matter are important. The right and wrong of one's way of doing things are found in trivial matters." -- Yamamoto Tsunetomo (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yamamoto_Tsunetomo)