Scary Events That Made It Seem Like the World Was Ending

In recent years, there have been a whirlwind of events that have given credence to the so-called "doomsday preppers" among us. Of course, it is commonly known that every generation of people is convinced it is the last generation (for reasons perhaps best known to psychologists). And it cannot be denied that the media focuses on large-scale, catastrophic events, making them seem far more common than they are. There is also the fact that the world is far more heavily populated now, so storms, earthquakes, meteors and other events that previously went unnoticed now impact densely-populated urban areas. All this aside, there have been some truly cataclysmic events in recent years. So hold on to your seat while you relive them below:

1. 9/11

- On September 11, 2001, the day began with terror and confusion. Two commercial jetliners had struck the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York, causing the edifices to burn and crumble to the ground. People were jumping out of the buildings to their death. Firefighters were being killed in the blaze. And the planes that struck the Twin Towers were only two of at least four planes we were told had been hijacked by Islamic extremists. Another plane was brought down by brave passengers in a Pennsylvania field, as it headed toward Washington DC. Yet another crashed into the Pentagon, causing a partial collapse of its side. Americans cowered in their homes, not wanting to go out for fear of hijacked planes ramming into their own workplaces. The news somberly reported that almost 3,000 people had lost their lives in the disaster, and Americans mourned them like they were friends and neighbors. The entire nation joined together with compassion and strength in responding to the tragedy. But things would never be the same. The dust settled, but America remains jittery to this day.

2. 2004 Tsunami.

On Christmas Day 2004, the world was rocked again when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake and tsunami struck Indonesia. The force of the earthquake was so great that the Earth was knocked off its axis. A wall of water over 30 feet high at points rammed into Southeast Asia, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and casualties. Unless they were able to reach high ground, people were smashed into the ground as if hit by a brick wall. This may have been the first time that the term "tsunami" entered the popular lexicon. But it was not the last.

3. Katrina.

In 2005, a Category-5 hurricane named Katrina struck Louisiana. As Katrina raged, dams burst and devastation reigned. Thousands of people and animals were killed or displaced. America was ill-prepared to respond to this emergency of epic proportions. Football stadiums were filled with the hungry and homeless. Emergency workers ultimately came to the rescue with food, aid and charity. To this day, however, many shudder when a hurricane approaches the East Coast, as they remember the utter chaos that Katrina wrought.

4. 2008 Housing Crash.

Home values exponentially increased in value between 2004 and 2006. In some areas, homes appreciated by one-third of their original value almost overnight. But behind the scenes, the people who had obtained "subprime" loans had ticking time bombs on their hands. Their very affordable, "interest-only" or "adjustable" rates were about to expire. And the subprime borrowers did not have the resources to pay the large amounts of principal that suddenly became due. So there was a monumental crash of the real estate market that had a resounding impact throughout most other industries as well. Along with the real estate market, the construction and homebuilding markets tanked. "Derivative" stocks based on real estate also failed. In fact, it seemed that everything had been precariously perched on the back of the housing boom. There was chaos for a time, and thoughts turned to whether we were facing another Great Depression. Instead, what occurred has been dubbed the Great Recession, although many people have yet to resume the lifestyle that they once enjoyed.

5. 2010 Earthquakes.

In 2010, the Earth seemed to be convulsing. Huge earthquakes were in the news day after day. There were magnitude 7.1 and 8.8 earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, respectively. Substantial earthquakes also occurred in miscellaneous other places, such as China, the Middle East and the United States. Previously dormant volcanoes spewed ash into the air in Iceland, disrupting flights. These unprecedented seismic events continued throughout 2010, fraying nerves and fueling theories of an impending 2012 Mayan Calendar Doomsday.

6. BP Oil Spill.

As if the numerous high-magnitude earthquakes were not enough, a BP Oil rig, the Deepwater Horizon, had a drilling accident that left oil spewing from a well into the Gulf of Mexico off the southeastern United States. The oil continuously gushed into the Gulf, with hundreds of millions of gallons of the black, toxic muck filling the water. The affected area was up to 68,000 square miles. Fish, birds and other animals were doused with oil, and many died. People were afraid to eat the seafood, and considered whether it was safe to live in close proximity to the environmental disaster. The gushing of oil lasted for two months before they were able to seal the breach. People worried that the disaster would have lasting damage to the ecosystem and the economy of the United States.

7. 2011 Tsunami and Reactor Meltdown.

In March of 2011, a massive 9-point earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. This triggered a monster tsunami that pounded the island. Tens of thousands were killed or injured. In addition, several nuclear reactors at Fukushima were irreparably damaged. Hundreds of tons of nuclear waste per day spewed into the water. There were reports that the Japanese government was engaging in a massive cover-up regarding the gravity and extent of the damage. People on the West Coast of the United States bought iodine supplements to protect their thyroid glands from the approaching cloud of radiation. To this day, children in Fukushima continue to suffer from a dramatic increase in thyroid-related problems. Increased infant deaths in the northeastern United States in 2011 were also linked to Fukushima. The food supply in Japan and possibly in the United States has been contaminated. Despite this, the popular media has been virtually silent in recent years as to the ongoing environmental impact of Fukushima.

8. Flight 370.

In March of 2014, Malaysian airlines Flight 370 disappeared from the sky over Malaysia and flew into the popular consciousness. It was carrying 227 passengers when civilian radar lost contact with the craft. Shortly thereafter, authorities spotted an oil slick in the South China sea, and believed it might be the jetliner. This turned out to be a false alarm, however. Then, it was revealed that government radar continued to track blips from the aircraft long after the aircraft disappeared from civilian radar. Indications were that the plane's transponder was turned off and that the plane made a u-turn shortly after leaving Malaysian air space. The plane then flew in either a northwesterly direction toward the Middle East or southwesterly direction toward the Indian Ocean for seven hours before contact was lost. Authorities concluded that the plane probably flew southwest, since it would have been detected had it flown over the Middle East. At one point, the plane soared up over 45,000 feet and then suddenly dipped low to the ground (which could have killed the passengers via hypoxia). After the plane disappeared, friends and family of the passengers insisted the passengers' cell phones continued to ring with no answer. For months, authorities dredged the floor of the Indian Ocean looking for wreckage and listening for pings. To date, months later, not a trace has been found. Conspiracy theories abound, with evidence surfacing that the pilot was a Muslim extremist with an at-home flight simulator, and that the pilots and/or crew may have themselves hijacked the aircraft.

9. Ebola.

In March of 2014, the media began reporting that there was an uncontrollable outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa. Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were some of the hardest-hit countries. The virus was extraordinarily deadly, claiming the lives of at least half of its victims. In September of 2014, a Liberian man, Thomas Eric Duncan, traveled to the United States to visit family. He had no signs of illness when he boarded the flight. However, several days later, he came down with a 103-degree fever and went to Dallas Presbyterian Hospital. He told the hospital he had been in Liberia, but he was sent home with antibiotics. Days later, Duncan returned to the hospital, vomiting and exhibiting much worse symptoms. He was diagnosed with Ebola. In September of 2014, "patient zero," the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, succumbed to his illness. In addition, two of the nurses who treated Duncan in Dallas have contracted Ebola, and are under the care of specialists in other states. Notably, one of them traveled on a commercial airplane in October 2014, one day before she was diagnosed with Ebola. Together, Duncan and the nurses were in contact with hundreds of people while ill. Since the incubation period for Ebola is 21 days according to the CDC, the extent of the spread to the United States remains to be seen.