On this day: April 26

House Slides Downhill Overnight but Remains Intact

On April 26, 1999, a single-family home shifted downhill during the night after a slope failure; the structure remained standing, and residents were evacuated with no reported fatalities. The incident highlighted local concerns about land stability and prompted emergency inspections.

First Known Photograph of a Tornado Captured, 1884

On April 26, 1884, the earliest surviving photograph commonly identified as a tornado was taken in Kansas, providing a rare visual record of a cyclone at a time when meteorology and photography were both rapidly advancing.

Chernobyl Disaster: Reactor Explosion at Pripyat, April 26, 1986

On April 26, 1986, a late-night test at the No. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat, Ukraine, led to a catastrophic explosion and fire that released large quantities of radioactive material across the surrounding region and much of Europe.