By Harriett Vanderbilt, Red Cross Volunteer

On May 21st, the American Red Cross will celebrate 145 years of dedicated service to disaster victims worldwide.  The humanitarian efforts of Red Cross volunteers have been limitless.  They have involved the work of countless men and women who put their personal lives aside to help those when they’ve needed it the most.  Please join us to celebrate these lifesaving actions. 

Among the incredible number of catastrophic events in history where the Red Cross has played a role, some truly stand out.  Natural disasters as well as wartime heroics are all part of the storied history of the Red Cross.  Here are some of the biggest disasters in history that showcase the dedication of each and every Red Cross worker. 

• At 5:12 am on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, a powerful earthquake shook the citizens of San Francisco, CA awake.  The 7.9 magnitude quake created high-density shaking from Eureka on the North Coast to the Salinas Valley south of the San Francisco Bay Area.  More than 8,000 people died. 

• On her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City, the RMS Titanic sank on April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg.  Approximately 1,500 people died that day.  Many of the 2,224 passengers were emigrants from the British Isles, Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe. 
• On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet, destroying the naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii.  At that time, the United States was a neutral country in World War II.  The air raid, launched from aircraft carriers, lead to the U.S. declaring war on Japan. 
• The 1964 Alaska earthquake, also known as the Great Alaska earthquake and the Good Friday earthquake, hit south-central Alaska at 5:36pm.  Following the quake, ground fissures opened, structures collapsed and tsunamis occurred.  The 9.2-9.3 magnitude earthquake lasted four minutes and 38 seconds. 
• The 11th day of September 2001, will forever remain one of the most brutal and deadly attacks on American freedom.  Islamic terrorist suicide attacks organized by al-Qaeda brought on a barrage of horror on the Twin Towers and the World Trade Center in New York City as well as on the Pentagon in Arlington, VA and Stonycreek Township, PA.  
• Oregonians enjoying the warm Labor Day weekend in popular vacation destinations such as Blue River, Holiday Farm, and the Santiam River area were forced to flee for their lives on September 7, 2020, as dry timber and grasses burst into flame.  The Holiday Farm fire alone grew extensively and by September 9th had grown to about 105,000 acres.  Most of Blue River was destroyed. 
• The 2023 Hawaii wildfires started in early August of 2023 in the state of Hawaii, most of them on the island of Maui.  At least 102 people died.  The cluster of wildfires were likely caused by dry, gusty conditions created by a high-pressure area north of Hawaii and by Hurricane Dora to the south. 

Celebrate with all the Red Cross volunteers who put themselves at risk to render aid to victims of these and so many more natural and human-caused tragedies. Thank you for your service to those in need!