The cruise ferry MS Estonia sinks in the Baltic Sea, killing 852 people

The MS Estonia was a cruise ferry that tragically sank in the Baltic Sea on the night of September 28-29, 1994, resulting in one of the worst maritime disasters in European history. The incident claimed the lives of 852 people, making it one of the deadliest peacetime shipwrecks in the 20th century.

The Vessel: MS Estonia was a passenger and car ferry operated by the Estonian shipping company Estline. It was built in 1979 and was primarily used for transporting passengers and vehicles between Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and Stockholm, Sweden. The ship was considered to be modern and relatively safe.

The Journey: On the evening of September 27, 1994, MS Estonia departed from Tallinn on a routine overnight voyage to Stockholm, carrying approximately 989 passengers and crew members. Most of the passengers were Swedish and Estonian nationals.

Severe Weather: The Baltic Sea is known for its challenging weather conditions, and on the night of the disaster, the region was experiencing a severe storm with high winds and rough seas. The adverse weather made sailing conditions difficult.

Sinking: At around 1:00 AM on September 28, MS Estonia encountered problems. The ship was hit by heavy waves and began listing to one side. Within minutes, it had sunk beneath the waves. Distress signals were sent, and rescue operations were initiated.

Rescue Efforts: Despite the adverse weather conditions, a significant rescue operation was launched by the Swedish and Finnish authorities. Helicopters and boats were dispatched to the scene. Many passengers were forced to jump into the cold and turbulent waters, where hypothermia became a serious concern.

Casualties: Tragically, the majority of those on board MS Estonia did not survive. Of the 989 people on board, 137 were rescued, but 852 perished, including passengers and crew members. Most of the survivors were found clinging to life rafts or debris in the frigid waters.

Investigation: A joint Swedish-Finnish-Estonian investigation was launched to determine the causes of the disaster. It was ultimately concluded that the sinking was primarily caused by the failure of the bow visor, a large door-like structure at the front of the ship, which allowed water to enter the vehicle deck during the storm. This caused the ship to lose stability and capsize.

Aftermath: The MS Estonia disaster prompted significant changes in maritime safety regulations, particularly related to the design and operation of ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) passenger ferries. The tragedy also led to a major salvage operation to recover the wreck from the sea floor.

Race riots begin in Omaha, Nebraska.

The General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) defines the length of a meter.

The first aerial circumnavigation is completed by a team from the US Army.

The cruise ferry MS Estonia sinks in the Baltic Sea, killing 852 people.
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Race riots start in Omaha, Nebraska.

Race riots rocked Omaha, Neb., on Sept. 28–29, 1919. The result of the riots was the lynching of Will Brown, an African American, and the death of two white men. The angry mob also attempted to hang Mayor Edward Parsons Smith, and it burnt down the Douglas County Courthouse in downtown Omaha. The Omaha riots were just one of many that took place throughout the United States in the summer of 1919, known as Red Summer.

Background

The troubles in Omaha began on Sept. 25, when Agnes Loebeck, a white woman, claimed that she had been assaulted by an African-American male. The next morning, the newspapers blasted the story with headlines referring to the black man as a “Black Beast.” The newspaper accounts of the incident fueled the anger of the white citizens of Omaha. Later that afternoon, the police brought a black man, whom they believed was the suspect, to Agnes Loebeck’s house for identification. Agnes identified the man, Will Brown, 41, who worked in a local packinghouse and suffered from a severe case of rheumatism, as the attacker.

As the police were about to leave Loebeck’s house, a large unruly mob began to gather in front of the house and threatened to grab Brown. A confrontation ensued, and after an hour, additional police arrived; police were able to transfer Brown to the Douglas County Courthouse. In order to prevent any trouble, 46 police officers were ordered to remain at police headquarters all night.

The Frenzy Increases

That night, rumors began to spread that a group of white people were once again planning to take Brown away from police custody and “take care of him.” On Sunday morning, Sept. 28, a group of young men began to march toward the courthouse. The angry crowd rapidly grew, and within a short period of time, the crowd swelled to between 5,000 to 10,000 people. They laid siege to the courthouse, and all city officials who were inside became prisoners and could not leave. Later that evening, the angry mob began firing into the courthouse, using rifles and guns that they had looted from nearby gun shops. In the gun battle, two people were killed. By about 8:30 p.m., the building was set on fire, and the mob refused to allow firefighters to come close to the building to extinguish the fire.

All the while Mayor Smith was at the scene of the courthouse and even went in several times to talk to town officials. At one point, he came outside and asked to address the crowd. He implored the crowd to remain calm, go home and forget about the prisoner. He begged them to let the firefighters get close to the building and do their job. The mob was furious, and suddenly the mayor received a blow to his head and was knocked to the ground. The next thing he saw was some people flinging one end of a long thick rope around a lamp post, and the other end was shaped into a noose and tightened around his neck. At that point he blacked out and had no recollection of what happened to him. He woke up in the hospital with head injuries. He remained in the hospital for several days. There are conflicting reports as to how he was rescued. One version is that a group of police personnel were responsible for the rescue. Others say that he was saved by a young bystander, Russel Norgaard. Once the mayor had been taken to the hospital, the mob turned its attention to Brown.

The wild crazed mob stormed the courthouse and got hold of Brown. They tore off his clothing, beat him until he was unconscious, dragged him outside and dropped him at a lamp post. The mob went into a frenzy and began shouting for the death of Brown. A rope was tightened around his neck, and he was hoisted to the top of the pole. As his body was spinning around, it was riddled with bullets. After he was lowered, his body was hitched to a car and dragged through the streets. At the corner of Dodge and 17th, his body was doused with fuel and set on fire. His burnt body was dragged through the streets of downtown Omaha. The rope that was used to hang Brown was cut into small pieces and sold for 10 cents a piece.

The Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat sign the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Nine people are taken hostage in London in what was known as the Spaghetti House siege