Which event does this 1923 photograph show?

An earthquake and firestorm destroy Tokyo and Yokohama (1923). The Great Kanto earthquake struck at lunchtime, when thousands of cooking fires were lit. The quake and the firestorm that followed killed around 105,000 people and destroyed most of Tokyo and Yokohama.

Which event does this 1985 photograph show?

The wreck of the Titanic is found on the ocean floor (1985). A joint French and American expedition led by Robert Ballard located the Titanic two and a half miles down, 73 years after she sank. Ballard found her by following the debris trail rather than hunting for the hull itself.

Which event does this 1972 photograph show?

Bobby Fischer becomes world chess champion, ending Soviet dominance (1972). Fischer beat Boris Spassky in Reykjavik to take the world title, breaking a Soviet grip on the championship that had held since 1948. The match was followed worldwide as a proxy for the Cold War itself.

Which event does this 1870 photograph show?

Napoleon III is captured at Sedan with his whole army (1870). The Battle of Sedan ended with Napoleon III and around 100,000 French troops taken prisoner. His capture collapsed the Second French Empire within days and cleared the path to a unified Germany. (Pictured: Napoleon III and Bismarck the morning after the battle.)

Which event does this 1914 photograph show?

Martha, the last passenger pigeon alive, dies in Cincinnati Zoo (1914). Martha died at Cincinnati Zoo, ending a species that had numbered in the billions and once darkened American skies for hours at a time. She is the only extinction whose exact date and hour are known.

What happened on September 1? the Great Kanto earthquake, the Titanic wreck and 3 more

What happened on September 1

All 5 specimens from this file, spanning 1870 to 1985, with the story behind each photograph.

Reveal the full answer key

Disaster · 1923

An earthquake and firestorm destroy Tokyo and Yokohama

The Great Kanto earthquake struck at lunchtime, when thousands of cooking fires were lit. The quake and the firestorm that followed killed around 105,000 people and destroyed most of Tokyo and Yokohama.
Discovery · 1985

The wreck of the Titanic is found on the ocean floor

A joint French and American expedition led by Robert Ballard located the Titanic two and a half miles down, 73 years after she sank. Ballard found her by following the debris trail rather than hunting for the hull itself.
Sports · 1972

Bobby Fischer becomes world chess champion, ending Soviet dominance

Fischer beat Boris Spassky in Reykjavik to take the world title, breaking a Soviet grip on the championship that had held since 1948. The match was followed worldwide as a proxy for the Cold War itself.
Conflict · 1870

Napoleon III is captured at Sedan with his whole army

The Battle of Sedan ended with Napoleon III and around 100,000 French troops taken prisoner. His capture collapsed the Second French Empire within days and cleared the path to a unified Germany. (Pictured: Napoleon III and Bismarck the morning after the battle.)
Nature · 1914

Martha, the last passenger pigeon alive, dies in Cincinnati Zoo

Martha died at Cincinnati Zoo, ending a species that had numbered in the billions and once darkened American skies for hours at a time. She is the only extinction whose exact date and hour are known.