Monuments Memorializing
Selected Human Tragedies
Examples of human tragedy listed in order of loss of life with name of (& hot links to) their principal memorials (monuments).
Above image is war memorial on the Maginot Line in Bitche, Moselle Department (France).Click here for a list of current conflicts in the world today.
Click here for Wikipedia's list of wars at all times in all places.
Click here for Wikipedia's list of wars & disasters by death toll.
Click here for Wikipedia's list of deadliest natural disasters by death toll.
Click here for Wikipedia's list of industrial disasters.
Click here for Wikipedia's list of civilian nuclear accidents.
Click here for dates & approximate number of civilians killed by some US air raids over Japan in World War II.
| Human Tragedy | Deaths | Place | Date | Perpetrator(s) | Principal Memorial | |
| Black Death (Plague) | 100,000,000 | Europe | 1347-1351 | Rats | Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic | |
| Great Pandemic (Flu) | 50,000,000 | Worldwide | 1918-1920 | Nature | Penny Hill Cem., Alexandria, VA | |
| Holodomor (Famine) | 10,000,000 | Ukraine | 1932-1933 | USSR | Kiev Memorial (+ Edmonton, AB) | |
| Atlantic Slave Trade | 8,000,000 | West Africa | 1500-1860's | Europeans | Click here for many monuments | |
| Holocaust (Genocide) | 6,000,000 | Europe | World War II | Nazi Germany | Holocaust Memorial Museum, DC | |
| Partition of India | 3,400,000 | India & Pakistan | 1947 | Hindus+Muslims | Memorial at Wagah (proposed) | |
| Cambodian Genocide | 1,700,000 | Cambodia | 1975-1979 | Khmer Rouge | Killing Fields Mem., Choeung Ek | |
| Asian Flu Pandemic | 1-4,000,000 | China+World | 1956-1958 | Nature | ? | |
| Tutsi Genocide | 800,000 | Rwanda | 1994 Apr-Jul | Hutus | Kigali Memorial Centre, Kigali | |
| Algerian Independence | 700,000 | Algeria | 1954-1962 | France+Guerrillas | Monument des Martyrs, Algiers | |
| Armenian Genocide | 500,000+ | Ottoman Empire (Turkey) | World War I | Ottoman Empire | Mem., Tsitsernakaberd, Armenia | |
| American Civil War | 620,000 | USA | 1861-1865 | Opposing Armies | Lincoln Mem., Washington, DC | |
| Iran-Iraq War | 500,000 | Iran & Iraq | 1980-1988 | Opposing Armies | Al-Shaheed Monument, Baghdad | |
| Darfur Genocide | 400,000 | Darfur, Sudan | 2003-Now | Janjaweed | ||
| Rape of Nanking | 300,000 | Nanjing, China | 1937 Dec | Imperial Japan | Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall | |
| Ypres Salient | 300,000 | Flanders, Belgium | World War I | Opposing Armies | IJzertoren Museum, Diksmuide | |
| Battle of Okinawa | 240,734 | Okinawa, Japan | 1945 Mar-Jun | Opposing Armies | Cornerstone of Peace, Mabuni | |
| Indian Ocean Tsunami | 230,210 | Indonesia & other nations | 2004 Dec 26 | Nature | Khao-lak Lamru Nat Pk, Thailand | |
| Battle of Verdun | 230,000 | Lorraine, France | 1916 Feb-Dec | Opposing Armies | Douaumont Ossuary, Douaumont | |
| Haiti Earthquake 7.0 | 212,000 | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | 2010 Jan 12 | Nature | ||
| Lebanese Civil War | 200,000 | Lebanon | 1975-1990 | Civil War | National Memorial, Beirut (future) | |
| Pillage of Carthage | 150,000 | Carthage (Tunisia) | 146 BCE | Roman Empire | Ruins of Carthage, Tunisia | |
| Great Kanto Earthquake | 142,000 | Tokyo, Japan | 1923 Sep 1 | Nature | Tokyo Earthquake Memorial | |
| Hiroshima Atom Bomb | 140,000 | Hiroshima, Japan | 1945 Aug 6 | USA | Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall | |
| Holocaust (Netherlands) | 101,800 | Netherlands | 1942-1945 | Nazi Germany | Memorial Ctr Camp Westerbork | |
| Tokyo Air Raids | 100,000 | Tokyo, Japan | 1945 Feb-Aug | USA | Ctr of Tokyo Raid+War Damages | |
| Murder of Prisoners | 100,000 | Delhi, India | 1398 | Timur (Tamerlane) | Gur-e Amir Tomb, Samarkand | |
| Battle of Gallipoli | 98,758 | Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey | 1915-16 | Opposing Armies | Gallipoli Peninsula Peace Park | |
| Nagasaki Atom Bomb | 80,000 | Nagasaki, Japan | 1945 Aug 9 | USA | Nagasaki Peace Memorial Hall | |
| Gt Pakistan Earthquake | 79,000+ | Kashmir, Pakistan | 2005 Oct 8 | Nature+Bad Bldgs. | ||
| Gt Sichuan Earthquake | 69,000+ | Sichuan, China | 2008 May 12 | Nature+Bad Bldgs. | Beichuan Nat Erthqk Ruins Mus | |
| Herero/Nama Genocide | 60,000 | Namibia (eg-SW Africa) | 1904-1907 | Germany | ||
| US Military Deaths | 58,256 | Vietnam | 1959-1975 | Opposing Armies | Vietnam Veterans Memorial, DC | |
| Operation Gomorrah | 50,000 | Hamburg, Germany | 1943 Jul 24+ | UK (Royal AF) | Nikolaikirche, Hamburg | |
| Nicaraguan Civil War | 50,000 | Nicaragua | 1979-1990 | Contras+CIA v Govt. | Parque de la Paz, Managua | |
| US Military Deaths | 36,940 | Korea | 1950-1953 | Opposing Armies | Korean War Vets Memorial, DC | |
| Krakatoa Eruption | 36,417 | Sunda Strait, Indonesia | 1883 Aug 26 | Nature | Memorial, Bandar Lampung | |
| Dresden Air Raid | 24-40,000 | Dresden, Germany | 1945 Feb 13 | UK+USA | Monument to Memory of WW-II | |
| Mount Pelée Eruption | 30,000 | Sainte-Pierre, Martinique | 1902 May 8 | Nature | Volcano Museum | |
| Battle of Britain | 23,002+ | Great Britain | 1940 | Nazi Germany | Kent Battle of Britain Museum | |
| Battle of Antietam | 23,000 | Sharpsburg, MD, USA | 1862 Sep 17 | Opposing Armies | Antietam National Cemetery | |
| Katyn Forest Massacre | 22,768 | Katyn Forest, Poland | 1940 | Russia | National Katyn Mem, Baltimore | |
| Battle of Austerlitz | 19,371 | Prace, Czech Republic | 1805 Dec 2 | Opposing Armies | Cairn of Peace/Muzeum Brnenska | |
| Partition of Palestine | 16-21,000 | Israel & Palestine | 1947-1948 | Haganah etc. | Museum of Underground Prisoners | |
| Chemical Leak | 16,000 | Bhopal, India | 1984 Dec 2 | Union Carbibe | Memorial (future) | |
| Osaka Air Raids | 15,000 | Osaka, Japan | 1945 | USA | Osaka International Peace Center | |
| Bataan Death March | 6-11,000 | Bataan Penins, Philippines | 1942 | Imperial Japan | Friendship Tower of Bagac | |
| Chemical Warfare | 10,000 | Iran | 1981-1988 | Iraq | Tehran Peace Monument | |
| Epuration sauvage | 9,000 | France | 1944 | France | ||
| Unnamed Hurricane | 8,000 | Galveston, Texas, USA | 1900 Sep 8 | Nature | Galveston Hurricane Memorial | |
| Yokahama Air Raid | 7-8,000 | Yokohama, Japan | 1945 May 29 | USA | ||
| Kobe Earthquake | 6,434 | Kansai Region, Japan | 1995 Jan 17 | Nature | Disaster Reduction Museum, Kobe | |
| Chile Earthquake 9.5 | 6,000 | Valdivia, Chile | 1960 May 22 | Nature | Pacific Tsunami Museum, Hilo, HI | |
| Poison Gas Attack | 3,200-5,000 | Halabja (Kurdistan), Iraq | 1988 Mar 16-17 | Saddam Hussein | Martyrs Monument & Museum | |
| US Military Deaths | 4,295+ | Iraq | 2003-2009 | Invaders v Disitants | Eyes Wide Open (AFSC) | |
| Cherokee Trail of Tears | 4,000 | Tennessee to Oklahoma | 1838 Winter | Pres Andrew Jackson | New Echota Historic Site, Georgia | |
| Nuclear Accident | 4,000 | Chernobyl, Ukraine | 1986 Apr 26 | Plant operators | Memorials in Kiev & elsewhere | |
| "The Troubles" | 3,400 | Northern Ireland, UK | 1960's-1998 | IRA et al | Carrickarnon Peace Mon (on hold) | |
| Earthquake & Fire | 3,000+ | San Francisco, CA, USA | 1906 Apr 18 | Nature | San Francisco Fire Dept Museum | |
| Unjust Nazi Executions | 3,000 | Plöetzensee Prison, Berlin | 1933-1945 | Nazi Germany | Plöetzensee Memorial, Berlin | |
| 9/11 World Trade Ctr | 2,823 | New York City, USA | 2001 Sep 11 | Al-Qaeda | 9/11 Memorial & Museum, NYC | |
| Kragujevac Massacre | 2,796 | Kragujevac, Serbia | 1941 Oct 21 | Nazi Germany | Oct. 21 Mem. Park, Kragujevac | |
| Tiananmen Sq Protests | 2,600 | Beijing, China | 1989 Jun 4 | China | Goddess of Democracy, Beijing | |
| Pearl Harbor Air Raid | 2,452 | Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | 1941 Dec 7 | Imperial Japan | USS Arizona Memorial, Honolulu | |
| Johnstown Flood | 2,200+ | Johnstown, PA, USA | 1889 May 1 | South Fork Club | Johnstown Flood Museum | |
| Halifax Explosion | 2,000 | Halifax Harbour, Canada | 1917 Dec 6 | Mont-Blanc (French) | Memorial Bell Tower, Halifax, NS | |
| Hurricane Katrina | 1,836 | New Orleans etc., USA | 2005 Aug 29 | Nature | Katrina Memorial, Biloxi, MS | |
| SS Sultana Explosion | 1,800 | Mississippi Riv, TN, USA | 1865 Apr 27 | Boiler mismanagement | Memorials in TN & 5 other states | |
| Guernica Air Raid | 1,654 | Guernica, Spain | 1937 Apr 26 | Germany & Italy | Museo de la Paz de Guernika | |
| Sinking of the Titanic | 1,517 | Atlantic Ocean | 1912 Apr 14-5 | White Star Lines | Fairview Cemetery, Halifax, NS | |
| Sinking of the Lusitania | 1,198 | Off Cobh, Ireland | 1915 May 7 | German Sub U-20 | Lusitania Peace Memorial, Cobh | |
| SS General Slocum Fire | 1,021 | East River, NY City, USA | 1904 Jun 15 | Captain Van Schaick | Tompkins Square Memorial | |
| Berlin Wall Escapees | 1,000 | Berlin, Germany | 1961-1989 | EastGermany+USSR | Checkpoint Charlie Museum | |
| Kawasaki Air Raid | 1,000 | Kawasaki, Japan | 1945 Apr 15 | USA | Kawasaki Peace Museum | |
| Seige of Masada | 936 | Judean Desert, Israel | 73 CE | Israel v. Rome | Masada National Park | |
| Mass Suicide | 918 | Jonestown, Guyana | 1978 Nov | Jim Jones | Evergreen Cemetery, Oakland, CA | |
| Chile Earthquake 8.8 | 800 | Concepción, Chile | 2010 Feb 27 | Nature | ||
| SARS Epidemic | 774 | China+Taiwan+Canada | 2002-2003 | Nature | SARS Animal Monument, Beijing | |
| Marzabotto Massacre | 770 | Monte Sole, Italy | 1944 Oct | Waffen SS | Peace School Foundation | |
| KLM/PanAm Collision | 583 | Tenerife, Canary Islands | 1977 Mar 27 | Runway Confusion | Intl Memorial, Mount Mesa Mota | |
| JAL Flight 123 | 520 | Mt Takamagahara, Japan | 1985 Aug 12 | Mechanical Failure | JAL Safety Promotion Ctr, Tokyo | |
| My Lai Massacre | 347-504 | My Lai, Vietnam | 1968 Mar 16 | USA (US Army) | MyLai PeacePk-MadisonQuakers | |
| Gainesville Tornado | 436+ | Gainesville, GA, USA | 1936, Apr 6 | Nature | Roosevelt Monument, Gainesville | |
| Sand Creek Massacre | 400 | Kiowa County, CO, USA | 1864 Nov 29 | Colorado Terr Militia | Sand Creek Massacre NH Site | |
| MarineBarracks bombs | 299 | Beirut, Lebanon | 1983 Oct 23 | Hezbollah | Beirut Memorial, Jacksonville, NC | |
| Bay of Pigs invasion | 294 | Playa Girón, Cuba | 1961 Apr 17-9 | USA (CIA) | Museo municipal de Playa Girón | |
| Pan Am 103 Crash | 270 | Lockerbie, Scotland | 1988 Dec 22 | Mohamed Megrahi | Dryfesdale Cemetery, Lockerbie | |
| KAL Flight 007 | 269 | Sea of Japan | 1983 Sep 1 | Russian Air Force | Tower of Prayer,Cape Soya,Japan | |
| Battle of Little Big Horn | 263 | Crow Agency, MT, USA | 1876 Jun 25-6 | USA v. Indians | Ltl Big Horn Battlefield Nat Mon | |
| Sinking of USS Maine | 258 | Havana Harbor, Cuba | 1898 Feb 15 | Spain or accident | Maine Memorial, New York City | |
| Arrow Air Flight 1285 | 256 | Gander, NF, Canada | 1985 Dec 12 | Ice on wings? | Silent Witness, Gander Lake, NF | |
| US Embassy bombings | 223 plus | Nairobi & Dar-es-Salaam | 1998 Aug 7 | Islamic Jihad | ||
| Great Chicago Fire | 200-300 | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 1871 Oct 8-10 | Mrs. O'Leary's Cow | Chicago Water Tower | |
| Nightclub Bombings | 202 | Kuta, Bali, Indonesia | 2002 Oct 12 | Jemaah Islamiyah | Bali Bombing Memorial | |
| Train Bombings | 191 | Madrid, Spain | 2004 Mar 11 | Al-Qaeda inspired | ||
| 9/11 Pentagon | 184 | Arlington, Virginia, USA | 2001 Sep 11 | Al-Qaeda | Pentagon Mem., Arlington, VA | |
| Oklahoma City Bomb | 168 | Oklahoma City, USA | 1995 Apr 19 | Timothy McVeigh | National Memorial & Museum | |
| Terrorist Attack | 165 | Mumbai , India | 2008 Nov 26 | Lashkar-e-Taiba | ||
| Earthquake & Tsunami | 165 | Aleutian Islands, AK, USA | 1966 Apr 1 | Nature | Pacific Tsunami Museum, Hilo, HI | |
| Protest Massacre | 157 | Conakry, Guinea | 2009 Sep 29 | Guinean Army | Peaceful transition of power | |
| 2nd Riel Rebellion | 125 | Saskatchewan, Canada | 1885 Spring | Province vs. Métis | Bell of Batoche (taken to Ontario) | |
| Kielland Rig Collapse | 123 | North Sea, Norway | 1980 Mar 27 | Undected crack | Brutte Lenke/Broken Chain | Alexander Kielland oil rig |
| Ammunition Explosion | 100 plus | Perth Amboy, NJ, USA | 1918 Oct 4 | Accident? | ? | |
| Muhammad Cartoons | 100 plus | Jyullands-Posten,Denmark | 2005 Sep 30 | Various Muslims | ||
| Swine Flu (H1N1) | 100 plus | Mexico+World | 2009 Apr | Nature | ||
| Gnadenhütten Massacre | 96 | Gnadenhütten, OH, USA | 1782 Mar 8 | Pnnsylvania Militia | Gnadenhütten Memorial (1872) | |
| Kristallnacht | 91 | Germany | 1938 Nov 9 | Nazi Germany | Kristallnacht Memorial, Austria | |
| Gt Chatsworth Wreak | 85 | Chatsworth, Illinois, USA | 1887 Aug 10 | Railroad workers | Roadside Marker (+folksong) | |
| Branch Davidian Raid | 76 | Waco, Texas, USA | 1993 Apr 19 | David Koresh | Branch Davidian Mem, Waco, TX | |
| Tay Rail Bridge Disaster | 75 | Dundee, Scotland | 1879 Dec 28 | Bridge failure | ? | |
| Hurricane Andrew | 65 | Miami etc., Florida, USA | 1992 Aug | Nature | Plaque, Biscayne Natl Park, Fl. | |
| 7/7 London Bombings | 56 | London, England | 2005 Jul 7 | Four British Muslims | 7/7 Memorial, Hyde Park, London | |
| Powder Explosion | 51 | Kenvil, New Jersey, USA | 1940 Sep 12 | Accident? | Memorial Plaque (2005) | |
| Silver Bridge Collapse | 46 | Pt. Pleasant, WV, USA | 1967 Dec 15 | Bridge failure | Silver Memorial Bridge | |
| 9/11 Flight 93 Crash | 44 | Shanksville, PA, USA | 2001 Sep 11 | Al-Qaeda | Flight 93 National Memorial | |
| Civil Rights Movement | 40 | Southern USA | 1954-1968 | Segregationists | Civil Rts Mem, Montgomery, AL | |
| Tulsa Race Riot | 39 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA | 1921 May 31 | Whites | Greenwood Cultural Center | |
| Wall Street Bombing | 38 | New York, NY, USA | 1920 Sep 16 | Ararchists | Scared stone at 23 Wall Street | |
| Virginia Tech Massacre | 33 | Blacksburg, VA, USA | 2007 Apr 16 | Seung-Hui Cho | Hokie Stone Semicircle | |
| Ludlow Massacre | 20 | Ludlow, Colorado, USA | 1914 Apr 20 | Colorado State Militia | Ludlow Monument, Ludlow, CO | |
| Khobar Towers bombing | 20 | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | 1998 Jun 25 | Hebollah Al-Hejaz | ||
| Salem Witch Hangings | 19 | Massachusetts, USA | 1692-1693 | Public Histeria | Salem Witch Museum, Salem, MA | |
| USS Cole bombing | 17 | Aden, Yemen | 2000 Oct 12 | Sudan Government? | Memorial, Naval Station Norfolk | |
| ColumbineHS Massacre | 15 | Littleton, Colorado, USA | 1993 Apr 19 | E.Harris+D.Klebold | Columbine Memorial, Littleton,CO | |
| École Polytechnique | 15 | Montréal, Québec,Canada | 1989 Dec 6 | Marc Lépine | Place du 6-Décembre-1989 | |
| Univ of Texas Shooting | 14 | UT, Austin, Texas, USA | 1996 Aug 1 | Charles Whitman | Admin Bldg Tower (unintentional) | |
| I-35W Bridge Collapse | 13 | St. Paul, Minnesota, USA | 2007 Aug 1 | Bridge failure | Bridge Mem Wall, St. Paul, MN | |
| Pullman Strike | 13 | Pullman, Illinois, USA | 1894 May 11 | US Army | Randolph/Pullman Museum/Gallery | |
| London bombings | 11 | Hyde & Regents Parks | 1982 Jul 20 | Provisional IRA | Two memorials | |
| Haymarket Massacre | 7 plus | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 1886 May 4 | Strikers & police | Haymarket Martyrs Monument | |
| Hatfield-McCoy Feud | 7 | WestVa./Kentucky, USA | 1878-1891 | Both families | Floodwall, Matewan, WV | |
| Valentine Day Massacre | 7 | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 1929 Feb 14 | Al Capone's gang | Capone Grave, Chicago, IL | |
| Great Fire of London | 6 plus | London, England | 1666 Sep 2-5 | Tho. Farriner Bakery | Monument by Christopher Wren | |
| World Trade Ctr bomb | 6 | New York City, USA | 1993 Feb 26 | Al-Qaeda | 9/11 Memorial & Museum, NYC | |
| Jack the Ripper | 5 plus | Whitechapel, London | 1888 Late | Unidentified | Jack the Ripper Walking Tour | |
| Kent State Massacre | 4 | Kent, Ohio, USA | 1970 May 4 | Ohio National Guard | May 4 Memorial, Kent State Univ. | |
| Altamont Free Concert | 4 | Altamont Track, CA, USA | 1969 Dec 6 | Hells Angels et al | ||
| Gunfight at OK Corral | 3 | Tombstone, AZ, USA | 1881 Oct 26 | Earps vs. Clantons | Boothill Cemetery, Tombstone | |
| Unabomber | 3 | Lincoln, Montana, USA | 1978-1995 | Theodore Kaczynski | "Pause", New York City, NY | |
| UU Church Shooting | 2 | TVUUC, Knoxville, USA | 2008 Jul 27 | Jim David Adkisson | McKendry Fellowship Hall | |
| Bloody Sunday | None | Selma, Alabama, USA | 1965 Mar 7 | Alabama State Police | Voting Rights Museum, Selma, AL | |
| Cuban Missile Crisis | None | Cuba & Straits of Florida | 1962 Oct | Soviet Union | Museo de la Revolution, Havana | |
| Japanese Internment | None | Western States, USA | World War II | USA | Japanese American Memorial, DC | |
| Nuclear Accident | None | Three Mile Is, PA, USA | 1979 Mar 28 | Many entities | Roadside Marker, DauphinCty,PA | |
| Whisky Rebellion | None | West. Pennsylvania, USA | 1791-1794 | Federal Whisky Tax | Bradford House, Washington, PA | |
| Sinking of the Arabia | None | Parkville, Missouri, USA | 1856 Sep 5 | Snag in Missouri River | Arabia Museum, Kansas City, MO | .|
| Stonewall Riots | None | New York City, NY, USA | 1969 Jun 28 | Gays v NYC Police | Stonewall Inn, New York City,NY | |
| Slavery in USA | Unknown | Southern States, USA | Before 1865 | Southern States | Nat Slavery Mus, Fredericksburg |
