This Day in History: 1967-07-25

Fukushima nuclear plant construction starts on this day in 1967. Following a tsunami on March 11, 2011, three of the four units would melt down, forcing permanent evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people and creating serious unknown hazards for future generations. Coincidentally, the Fukushima plant start date is the same as the day that the Washington Public Power Supply System, built to finance nuclear reactors in Washington State, declared bankruptcy in 1983. Along with the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island melt-downs, the four major disasters effectively halted the expansion of the nuclear power industry in the 21st century.