Kursk Sinks: Russian Submarine Disaster Claims 118
The Russian nuclear submarine Kursk sank during a naval exercise in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000, after a torpedo propellant leak caused two massive explosions that registered on seismographs across Scandinavia. The first blast had a force equivalent to 100 kilograms of TNT; the second, two minutes later, equivalent to 3 to 7 tons. All 118 crew members died. Twenty-three men survived the initial explosions in a rear compartment and left notes describing their situation. President Putin initially downplayed the disaster, refusing offers of foreign rescue assistance for five critical days while telling the public the submarine was communicating with rescuers. It wasn't. The Kursk disaster exposed the dangerous deterioration of Russia's post-Soviet military.
August 12, 2000
26 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 12
Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Egypt, died on August 12, 30 BC, probably by poison rather than the legendary asp bite. She was 39. Her death ended the Ptole…
Crusader forces under Godfrey of Bouillon crushed a Fatimid Egyptian army at Ascalon on August 12, 1099, just one month after seizing Jerusalem. The Fatimids ha…
At the Battle of Didgori in 1121, King David IV of Georgia attacked a Seljuk force that outnumbered his army by a ratio sometimes estimated at 8-to-1. He used a…
Nur ad-Din Zangi defeated a combined Crusader force at Harim in 1164, capturing the Count of Tripoli, the Prince of Antioch, and other senior commanders in a si…
Kublai Khan sent two invasion fleets to Japan — in 1274 and in 1281. Both were destroyed by storms. The 1281 fleet was enormous: perhaps 140,000 men across 4,00…
Sweden and the Republic of Novgorod signed the Treaty of Noteborg, establishing their shared border for the first time. The treaty divided Finland and Karelia b…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.