12 Horrible Things That Happened on Christmas
Christmas is a time for peace on Earth, goodwill, presents, and of course, celebrating. And while it seems the only way Christmas to be bad is waking up to a lump of coal in your stocking (or, if you're spoiled, finding your mom got you the wrong iPhone,) some really bad stuff has happened on Christmas.
Some of the worst Christmas events involve massacres, murders, and mayhem. Some terrible presents include wars, death, and the birth of a hate group. Through all the cheeriness and carol singing, remember that bad things can still happen. As this list shows, some events are pretty gruesome, or at the very least pretty darn uncomfortable.
Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
Photo: ILO in Asia and the Pacific / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0Though much of this happened the day after Christmas, it began on December 25, 2004. In the hours between Christmas Day and the day after, a massive earthquake, registering at least 9.1 on the Richter scale hit just off the west coast of Sumatra. The damage from that alone was devastating, as it was felt along the coast, but the tragedy didn't stop there. Aftershocks continued to roll as a tsunami of massive proportions gained strength and crashed into many countries surrounding the Indian Ocean with tragic results.
In the 14 countries hit by the quake and tsunami, more than 230,000 people were killed. It was one of the worst tsunamis in history. Homes were destroyed, people went missing, and whole villages were lost, and the region is still feeling the effects of the disaster, even today.
The Formation of the KKK
Photo: Arete13 / flickr / CC-BY-ND 2.0Christmas hardly seems like the perfect day to form a hate group, but sure enough, that's what happened. On Christmas Eve in 1865, in Pulaski, TN, a group of men who previously served in the Confederate Army got together to chat. They put together a brand new group meant to uphold white supremacy, and to reverse the government's equal rights work after the Civil War. They wanted to make sure black people didn't get rights and that the South could continue with segregation. This group was known as the Ku Klux Klan. To this day the hate group has members across the United States.
Congo Christmas Massacre
Photo: k-ideas / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0In the early 2000s, the Lord's Resistance Army was a Christian cult that was strong, terrifying, and ruthless in its pursuit of terrorism. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, they would terrorize locals by cutting off people's lips, killing children, and slaughtering entire villages. One such slaughter took place over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 2008. The army targeted five villages, waited until they were celebrating the holiday, then attacked them all at once, killing virtually everyone. They used axes, bats, and machetes, and often raped women before they killed them.
The final death toll is still uncertain, but some reports put the number at more 600 people killed in a span of only three days.
The Taeyongak Hotel Fire
Photo: cincystudents / Wikispaces / Tangient LLCOn Christmas Day 1971 in Seoul, things were pretty normal for the renowned Taeyongak Hotel. People were celebrating, some were settling in for the night, and everything seemed peaceful. Then, suddenly, disaster struck. A fire started after a gas explosion at the hotel. In what is called the worst hotel fire in history, the hotel was quickly engulfed in flames, with the entire expanse lighting up the night. By the time the fire was finally put out, more than 10 grueling hours later, 166 people had lost their lives. Most died of smoke inhalation, and eight people - including the hotel's owner - were arrested.
The USSR Invades Afghanistan
Photo: Sherurcij / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union was poised to invade Afghanistan. Around midnight, the Soviets sent well over 8,000 men into Kabul, and they attacked the palace. While resistance was fierce, the Soviet troops were so overwhelming that there was simply nothing that could be done. Thousands were killed. By December 27, the Soviets had formed the Marxist People’s Democratic Party (PDPA) and instilled their own rule. It would not be until 1989 until the Soviets were finally driven out.
The Tangiwai Train Disaster
Photo: Archives New Zealand / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0What could go wrong while taking a little train ride on Christmas Eve through scenic New Zealand? Unfortunately, one such train ride in 1953 ended in tragedy. The Auckland night train was chugging around the tracks when, suddenly, it slid on the wet rails and plummeted down into the Whangaehu River. Out of the 285 passengers, more than half died in the crash or in the surging waters that engulfed the cars. Over the next few days, rescuers and volunteers found muddy and ruined presents throughout the wreckage from passengers trying to bring gifts to loved ones. It was heartbreaking. It remains, to this day, New Zealand's worst railway accident, and one of the word train accidents of all time.
The Italian Hall Disaster
Photo: Chris857 / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainOn Christmas Eve in 1913, some miners and their families were having a massive Christmas party in an Italian cultural hall in Michigan. Everything was going fine until someone, "Fire!" Panic took hold and everyone rushed for the exits at once -not caring what, or who, they knocked over during their mad dash. People fell, and were either trampled or suffocated in the crowds. In the end, a stunning 73 people died, 59 of which were just children trying to celebrate with their family.
In a cruel, ironic twist, it turned out there was no fire at all. To this day, no one is entirely sure who yelled "fire" or why they did it.
Cyclone Tracy
There is a small city in the Northern Territories of Australia called Darwin, and it is prone to cyclone activity. It's been hit by storms in the past, but in 1974, Darwin was pummeled by a tropical storm. From Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, Cyclone Tracy ravaged the town, killing 66 people. When at last the winds settled, 70 percent of the city's buildings were destroyed, including 80 percent of the houses. More than 40,000 people were left without homes, and donations were set up using the slogan "Santa never made it to Darwin." While the city was later rebuilt, Australia has never forgotten that tragedy.
The Christmas Flood of the Netherlands
Photo: Michael Gäbler / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainIn 1717, a massive storm hit the coast of the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia. Floodwaters began to rise drastically, faster than anyone could compensate for, and soon whole villages and towns became engulfed. Dams and dykes were breached by the force of the water and storm, and the floods continued all throughout the usually cheery holiday. By the end of it, an estimated 13,000 people or more were drowned by the flooding, and others were killed by debris and disease that came later. Some towns were so badly destroyed that there was nothing left, and they simply ceased to exist.
The Sinking of the SS Patria
Photo: Zero0000 / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainIn 1940, on Christmas Day, about 1,800 Jewish refugees were fleeing Germany in an attempt to avoid what would prove to be one of the largest mass-killings in history. They were aboard a ship called the SS Patria. A Zionist organization had put a bomb on board, set to go off in the morning of the December 25. When it exploded, the ship began to rapidly sink. It only took 16 minutes for the ship to go down, killing 267 people in the process.
The Lawson Family Murders
Photo: Zaums / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Mark 1.0While there have been many killings on Christmas over the years of various size and motives, there's a specific one that is particularly gruesome. On Christmas Day in 1929, the Lawson family went into town to have a family portrait done. The family then headed back home. When they got back to the house, patriarch Charlie Lawson shot and killed all but one of his family members.
He just took up a gun and started shooting his family. He killed his wife, his daughters, and every member of his family except for his oldest son, who was out getting errands at the time. Eventually, he even shot himself. The lack of known motives and the suddenness of it all, a well as the holiday timing, keep this massacre as one that history still remembers.
The Library of Congress Fire
In 1851, the Library of Congress was home to more than 50,000 works of literature. It was home to the personal library of President Thomas Jefferson, and housed some of his own personal writings. Unfortunately, it would not last. On Christmas Eve, a fire began that was so strong and so devastating in size that it engulfed most of the library. When the smoke cleared, over two thirds of the books had been completely destroyed, including the books from Jefferson.
