A Tsunami, a Rocket, and Three Thousand People Who Nearly Stormed Area 51

A Tsunami, a Rocket, and Three Thousand People Who Nearly Stormed Area 51

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Episode description

A Tsunami, a Rocket, and Three Thousand People Who Nearly Stormed Area 51

On 20 September 1498, the Nankai earthquake sent a tsunami crashing into coastal Japan, destroying the wooden hall around the Great Buddha of Kōtoku-in. The forty-foot bronze statue survived, and for over five centuries has sat in the open air without a roof. Five hundred and two years later, on the same date in 2000, someone fired a Russian-built RPG-22 anti-tank missile at the MI6 building in London. The headquarters sustained damage but no casualties, and the attack remains unsolved. Then, in 2019, thousands gathered near Area 51 in Nevada after a viral Facebook event proposed storming the classified US military facility to find aliens. Nobody stormed anything. They had a party instead. Three moments in history: one serene, one alarming, one absurd. All taking place on the same calendar date, centuries apart. Clara Vale explores the earthquake that reshaped a coastline, the rocket that struck a spy headquarters, and the internet event that became a desert festival.

Chapters

  • Introduction Clara introduces three events from the twentieth of September: a tsunami in medieval Japan, a rocket attack on MI6, and a crowd gathering near Area 51.
  • The Nankai Tsunami and the Great Buddha of Kōtoku-in On 20 September 1498, the Nankai earthquake and tsunami destroyed the wooden hall around the Great Buddha statue at Kōtoku-in temple in Japan. The forty-foot bronze figure survived and has sat outdoors ever since, enduring five centuries of weather and seismic activity.
  • The MI6 Rocket Attack At midnight on 20 September 2000, a Russian-built RPG-22 anti-tank missile was fired at the MI6 headquarters in London, striking the eighth floor. The building sustained damage but no injuries, and the attack remains unsolved.
  • Storm Area 51 On 20 September 2019, thousands gathered near Area 51 in Nevada after a viral Facebook event proposed storming the classified US military facility. Despite two million online RSVPs, attendees held festivals rather than trespassing, and the day ended peacefully.
  • Outro Clara reflects on the contrast between the three stories: a catastrophe that revealed endurance, an attack on a spy headquarters, and an internet joke that became a wholesome gathering.

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