10 Moments That Made the World Cry

10 Moments That Made the World Cry

Welcome to WatchMojo, where we’re discussing immensely tragic events that caused global periods of collective mourning.

The Death of Diana (1997)

Diana, Princess of Wales, joined the Royal Family after marrying Charles III in 1981. As time went on, their relationship soured, and the pair got divorced in 1996. That didn’t stop the public from adoring Diana. In Paris, 1997, tragedy struck, and Diana died in a horrific car crash alongside boyfriend Dodi Fayed. Investigations found that her limo driver was intoxicated, and therefore claimed he was responsible. However, many still blame the paparazzi team that chased the limo into the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. She only lived to 36 and was mourned across the entire globe. Over 2.5 billion people watched her funeral, which was approximately 40% of all people alive at the time.

Pearl Harbor (1941)

In 1937, Imperial Japan began its full-scale invasion of China. After Germany invaded Poland, the conflict merged with World War II. In 1941, their resources were dwindling, and America was looking threatening. As such, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, hoping it would demoralise the Americans, cripple their fleet, and allow a quick victory. It had none of these effects. The U.S. was distraught, but eager to retaliate. While the Allied Powers mourned the losses of Pearl Harbor, the fascists feared the revenge they sought. The Axis Powers fell to the Allies by 1945, with their overextension being a major factor.

Boston Marathon Bombings (2013)

In 2013, two Islamic extremist brothers detonated two pressure cooker bombs at the Boston Marathon’s finish line. Hundreds were injured, and three people lost their lives. The culprits tried escaping by killing a police officer and robbing a car. They ended up in a shootout, and one brother got run over by the other in the commotion. He later died of his injuries, and the other was found hiding in a boat. He was convicted and is currently being held on death row in Colorado. Tons of people from across the globe gave their condolences to the victims, including world leaders from almost every nation.

Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami (2011)

Earthquakes are terrifyingly common in Japan, which lies at the intersection of multiple tectonic plates. The most devastating recorded earthquake in Japan came in 2011, which obliterated the Tohoku region. The earthquake triggered a tsunami, which did extreme amounts of damage. Average wave heights were roughly 130 feet, causing thousands of deaths. The ordeal then caused even more horrors after it triggered a meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Powerplant. It was the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Worldwide, billions watched as the horrific domino effect swept across Japan. Roughly 163 countries offered aid, and over 520 billion yen was donated.

Las Vegas Shooting (2017)

In 2017, Las Vegas fell victim to the deadliest mass shooting by a single perpetrator in U.S. history. A 64-year-old man targeted attendees of the Route 91 Harvest music festival. It had approximately 22,000 guests, and 60 of them lost their lives. The shooter started firing from his hotel room, then took his own life after roughly 10 minutes of chaos. Years later, his motivation remains almost entirely unknown. The Islamic State said they were behind it, but there’s no evidence to confirm this. Figures from across the globe gave their condolences, including world leaders and prominent political figures.

7/7 (2005)

On the 7th of July 2005, the UK fell victim to one of its worst terrorist attacks ever. It consisted of four coordinated attacks in London during rush hour. Three homemade bombs exploded in the London Underground, and a fourth on a bus. The culprits all died with the explosions, which also took 52 innocent lives and injured 784 more. It was perpetrated by Islamic extremists, who created videotape statements explaining their motivations. Thirty-two of the victims were British, while the rest came from nations across the globe. A decade later, a couple was apprehended for planning an anniversary attack. This thankfully fell through, largely because of incriminating tweets one of them made.

Titanic’s Sinking (1912)

The most well-known maritime disaster in history is the RMS Titanic. It was built to be unsinkable, which meant its owners gave little thought to maximising safety. It sailed with only twenty lifeboats, which could only hold half of all passengers. Under the cover of night, the Titanic was going at scarily fast speeds to impress the New Yorkers when they arrived. As we all know, it ended in tragedy when the ship came in collision with an enormous iceberg. Approximately 1,500 people died out of the 2,224 souls on board. Since then, maritime safety has improved significantly to prevent a repeat of the disaster.

Hurricane Katrina (2005)

Hurricanes are one of nature’s most terrifying creations. In 2005, states in the southeast of the United States were decimated by Hurricane Katrina. At the time, it stood alone as the costliest hurricane in history. It caused $125 billion worth of damage, hitting New Orleans particularly hard. Eighty percent of the city was flooded, and thousands in New Orleans alone were displaced. In total, more than one million people were displaced in the U.S. Afterwards, tons of countries donated millions of dollars in aid. Around 1,400 fatalities were confirmed, with a further 652 people remaining missing.

Rwandan Genocide (1994)

The act of genocide is always horrific, being one of the worst things humans can do to each other. In recent decades, we’ve developed the technology for the whole world to know when genocide is committed. This meant that when the Hutu-led Rwandan government began systematically killing the Tutsi ethnic group, the whole world was shedding tears. More than half a million people died in roughly 100 days of violence. Unfortunately, the international community failed to prevent the genocide. Once violence began, the UN pulled out the majority of its peacekeeping forces. The humanitarian organizations that remained were beyond brave, trying their best to mitigate damages. Tragically, it was not enough to stop the spread of violence.

9/11 (2001)

On September 11th, 2001, al-Qaeda launched its largest attack on the U.S. ever. Four planes were hijacked, then two crashed directly into the World Trade Center. A third hit the Pentagon, while passengers revolted on the fourth, causing it to crash in a field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people died, and thousands more were injured. Perhaps most people who are old enough are able to tell you exactly where they were when this happened. The rest of the world was stunned, watching in silence as the horrors unfolded. It had profound consequences for the entire globe, leading to the global war on terror.

Were there any deeply tragic events we forgot to mention? Leave your suggestions down in the comments section.