On December 26, 2004, a gigantic earthquake ripped apart the floor of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sumatra. The force of the quake, transmitted upward to the surface, sent a tsunami, or a series of giant waves, in all directions toward unprotected shores and unwarned populations, many in remote areas or secluded vacation spots. Within 12 hours, more than 200,000 people had been killed, and many more left injured or homeless, their livelihoods destroyed. Cities and villages lay in ruins. Even the geography of the Earth was changed. But as the affected countries, with help from around the world, struggled to recover, scientists warned that the next deadly tsunami could come at any time. The question remains whether the world will be any more prepared for the next one. Read how the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami changed the way nations are tracking natural-disaster warnings in an effort to prevent future disasters....

On May 6, 1937, the celebrated airship Hindenburg caught fire during its landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 people. A German zeppelin, the Hindenburg was the largest airship ever built. It made numerous transatlantic journeys, offering passengers comfort and luxury during the years of the Great Depression. What was supposed to be a routine landing on the first transatlantic flight of the season ended in tragedy. Present at the site were many journalists, who were on hand to record the tragedy for the entire world to see, etching the indelible images on the minds of generations to come. The Hindenburg disaster was so great it effectively ended the practice of using dirigibles for passenger use. In "The Hindenburg Disaster of 1937", read about what caused this tragedy....

Sir Francis Drake rose from humble beginnings on an English farm to become one of the country's most widely acclaimed heroes. As a result of his early exploits at what amounted to piracy in the Caribbean, he acquired great wealth and fame. He became a confidant of Queen Elizabeth I, a terror to the king of Spain, and an admiral in the navy that defeated the mighty Spanish Armada. As an explorer, Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world - the second ever to do so after Magellan - and his voyages uncovered much about the western coast of the Americas, the Pacific Northwest, the Pacific Ocean, and Cape Horn. Read in "Sir Francis Drake" how this man's career opened the way for more exploration by the English and was part of the foundation of British naval power....

James Cook, son of a farm laborer and onetime shopkeeper's apprentice, became one of England's greatest explorers. After learning his trade as a seafarer in the Royal Navy, he commanded three epic voyages that took him around the world twice and from the Antarctic to the Arctic. His many discoveries included the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. His exploration of the South Pacific added immeasurably to the geography of that region, and his rigorous insistence on a diet intended to prevent diseases like scurvy served as a model for generations of captains. On his final voyage, Cook was stabbed to death during the season of war in Hawaii. In "Captain James Cook", learn how this daring explorer charted far-flung regions of the globe....