A 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sendai triggered a massive tsunami t

Featured Event 2011 Event

Japan Earthquake Triggers Tsunami and Nuclear Meltdown

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sendai triggered a massive tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people and caused three reactor meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi, the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. The catastrophe forced Japan to shut down its entire nuclear fleet and prompted a global reassessment of reactor safety standards.

Talk About This Event

March 11, 2011

15 years ago

What Else Happened on March 11

222 Event

The Praetorian Guard didn't just kill the eighteen-year-old emperor—they erased him. After stabbing Elagabalus and his mother Julia Soaemias in a palace latrine…

843 Event

She'd been ruling for a child emperor — her three-year-old son Michael III — when Theodora risked everything to reverse a policy that had torn the Byzantine Emp…

1343 Event

The Pope refused to create the archbishopric for seven years because he didn't trust King John of Bohemia's loyalty. Charles IV, John's son, had to wait until h…

1387 Event

English mercenary captain Sir John Hawkwood deployed a feigned retreat to draw Verona's forces into a devastating ambush at Castagnaro, delivering Padua a decis…

1387 Event

John Hawkwood’s tactical brilliance dismantled the Veronese army at the Battle of Castagnaro, securing a decisive victory for Padua. By utilizing flooded fields…

1641 Event

The Jesuits armed thousands of Indigenous converts with European muskets and cavalry tactics, then watched them outmaneuver Portuguese slave raiders at their ow…

View all events on March 11 →

Talk to History

Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.

Start Talking

← Back to March 11

Japan Earthquake Triggers Tsunami and Nuclear Meltdown

Key Figures & Places

What Else Happened on March 11

Talk to History