3 Famous Black Fridays

While the term “Black Friday” may often be used to describe any Friday the 13th, there are also a variety of things in history that happened on a Friday, which then became known as a “Black Friday.” Some of the events that later received this name include floods, fierce fires, and even a riot. The following are a few “Black Friday’s” that the world will not forget.

Friday Flood
On May 31, 1889, one of the worst and most well-known floods in history occurred, known as the Johnstown Flood. This flood occurred in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and was actually caused by a dam that gave way. This flood actually killed more than 2,000 people and the town was devastated by the flood waters. It was at this point in time that the Red Cross, which was led by nurse Clara Barton, actually responded to its first disaster and offered help and relief to hurting people. While it was a dark day, the Red Cross was born into a disaster relief organization like no other.

Friday Fires
Another “Black Friday” that many people will never forget occurred on January 13, 1939. On this day, wildfires broke out in the country of Australia, and to this day they are still known as the worst natural fires that ever occurred. Almost 5 million acres were burned by this fire and 72 people were killed as well. This fire was devastating, and the ecological and economical repercussions lasted for decades after the fires were extinguished.

Friday Fighting
February 9, 1945 brought about another “Black Friday,” which consisted of the fiercest air battle of the Second World War between the Germans and the British. This air battle took place over Norway. During this famous air fight, there were actually 15 airplanes that were shot down and 24 men died during this battle. Few have forgotten the bravery that was shown on this day.