This Week in History- March 10th through March 16th

(2000s – Present) Tragedy Times Two: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, 2011

 

On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku Region of Japan shook with forces stronger than any earthquake they had experienced before. A 9.1 Magnitude earthquake with an epicenter just off the coast of the mainland struck in the afternoon of an otherwise normal day. The earthquake was so powerful that it was felt all the way into Russia and China, but its biggest impact was on the Tohoku Region. Despite the earthquake’s historic strength, it was the tsunami that followed 30 minutes later which caused the most damage. Reaching maximum wave heights of 130 feet, the tsunami quickly destroyed homes and buildings, including the Fukushima Dachii Nuclear Reactors. With its cooling systems and power supply disabled, the three reactor cores began to melt and release highly radioactive material into the atmosphere. As a result of the earthquake and tsunami combined, over 1,800 individuals were killed or missing, 123,000 buildings and homes were destroyed, and over 100,000 people were evacuated from their homes as a precautionary measure against the radioactive release.

This event remains one of the most notable environmental events in the recent decades and is one I have learned about in my college courses. However, I found an interesting new perspective on the earthquake and tsunami in The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa published a year after the disaster. Many scientists were reportedly confused at the strength and location of the Tohoku Earthquake. Their seismic hazard maps didn’t reflect the possibility of a 9.1 magnitude earthquake in this region, but that doesn’t change the fact that the ‘impossible’ still happened. Instead, many began to question the accuracy of their hazard maps, and a few different opinions emerged. Some argued that while they couldn’t be fully accurate, they were better than nothing when dealing with highly unpredictable natural disasters. Another agreed with this sentiment but argued they should still take this as a lesson that they shouldn’t rule out the possibility of unpredicted earthquakes. On the other hand, many scientists believe that seismic hazard maps haven’t proved to be more effective than just a random guess, and a new model needs to be created. This article is a great example of how scientists continuously adapt to new information to change their theories, and how the present can continue to impact our present understanding. 

My search tip of the week comes from my research on the Tohoku Earthquake. When researching specific events, check to see if there are any other names used to describe them! The Tohoku Earthquake has many nicknames, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake. Because of this, when I search for the Tohoku Earthquake, I may not get all the results discussing the event. If you adapt your search to include other names for the event, then you have a greater chance of finding all relevant information without some stories falling through the cracks. 

(1980s – 2000s) Singing Lions and Selling Lies: Scathing Movie Review, 1995

 

The Lion King was released in 1994, and is one of Disney’s most well-loved movies. Well, that is loved by most people. Writer Evan Levine at the Kane Country Chronicle was not a fan of the movie and shared his review with the public on March 11th, 1995. Levine criticizes the movie for lacking heart and being somewhat unbelievable. He argues that the movie feels too commercial, and manipulates the viewer into believing the theme, leaving Levine feeling “exploited” by the movie. Despite these issues, he does give credit where credit is due, acknowledging the important message about loss and growing up. 

I found this to be an interesting review of the movie, and I think that Lavine may have forgotten that this movie was at its core made for children. It is to be expected that a movie about a lion kingdom featuring multiple musical numbers wouldn’t be entirely realistic, but kids are still going to enjoy it. Many children’s movies are made in a way that the themes are clear enough to be understood easily, not requiring deep analysis to uncover. I do agree with his emphasis on the importance of the themes of the movie, as it teaches important lessons about life in an entertaining way. Despite these criticisms, The Lion King remains a beloved movie by generations of children. 

(1945 – 1980s) Double Trouble: Two Beatles Members in the News, 1969

 

March 12th, 1969 was a busy day for members of the famous English rock band The Beatles. For Paul McCartney, his day was full of joy and crazy fans at his wedding to Linda Eastman. McCartney was greeted by a crowd of fans outside the Marylebone Town Hall where they were having a small ceremony. Despite the crowd, the couple had a private wedding with only their close family members. The same day, police interacted with another member of the Beatles under very different circumstances. A team of police officers arrested George Harrison and his wife for possessing Marijuana, which came as a shock to none of his bandmates. Shared in The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, McCartney remarked that it was bound to happen “sooner or later”. Harrison and his wife both paid $480 in bail and simply commented that they would be returning home “for a good night’s sleep”. The day was certainly eventful for the band, despite being for very different reasons!

The Butler Act was introduced to the Tennessee legislature in 1925 to ban the teaching of evolution in all universities and public schools within the state. The act didn’t explicitly name the theory of evolution but rather prohibited any teaching of theory that denies the biblical story of creation, and that man was made by god. Those who broke this law would be fined anywhere from $100 to $500 for each instance. Conversations surrounding the act were held by members of both parties, and the Marshall Gazette shared that not only was nearly the whole senate engaged in debates, but a large crowd of spectators also attended. The bill was passed in the Tennessee Senate on March 13th, 1925, with 24 members voting in favor, and only 6 voting against it. 

This ruling was highly controversial and led to a Supreme Court case discussing its constitutionality. The ACLU sued the state of Tennessee in partnership with Science Educator John Scopes who had been found to have violated the act. After the Tennessee Supreme Court decided it was not violating the Constitution because it did not explicitly enforce a single religious belief, the case was later overturned on a technicality. Despite the decision reversal, the law wasn’t repealed until 1967. This case has been cited in many arguments for the teaching of certain subjects in schools, and continues to be relevant to this day. 

April Showers bring May flowers, but for the East Coast in 1888, March brought them a monster blizzard. From March 11 to March 14, a total of 58 inches of snow fell over the eastern coast of the United States and parts of Canada. Wind speeds reached a sustained speed of 45 MPH as states were covered in a thick blanket of snow. With such large amounts of snow, most modes of transportation were disabled and people were stuck in their homes for days on end. The blizzard and effects that followed resulted in an estimated 400 deaths, as well as $25 million in damages (about $870 million in 2025). On March 22nd, 1888, the Warwick Advertiser published an article titled “Echoes from the Storm” where they shared stories of New Yorkers from the blizzard. One story that stood out to me was of a family who had run out of ingredients to make food, and upon discovering that none of their neighbors had some either, the father traveled 3 miles through the snow drifts to purchase a sack of flour. Many of the stories shared a similar theme of community, as neighbors helped each other dig their way out of the snow. Despite the storm having tragedy, it also shows the strength of community and the importance of looking out for the people around you. 

Join me again next week to discover more of history’s hidden gems and timeless tales.