Historical Events tagged with "cyanide"

Turns out history loves a label—battles, breakthroughs, and the occasional disaster, all neatly tagged for your browsing pleasure. Because sometimes you just need every weird invention in one place.

Crime & Law

Poachers Target Elephants in Hwange National Park

September 6th, 2013 11 years ago

Forty-one elephants were poisoned with cyanide in Hwange National Park by poachers seeking to exploit the wildlife for ivory. This incident occurred within the vast salt pans of the park, where the poison was used to lure the elephants to nearby watering holes. The motivation behind this act was the lucrative black market for ivory, prompting poachers to take extreme measures to capture and kill these majestic animals for profit. The poaching incident highlighted the rampant illegal wildlife trade within the region.

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Health & Medicine

Cyanide Contamination Leads to Tylenol Recall

October 5th, 1982 42 years ago

In October 1982, seven individuals in Chicago died after consuming Tylenol capsules that had been tampered with and laced with cyanide. The incident sparked widespread panic and led to the largest product recall in American history. Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of Tylenol, took immediate action by recalling 31 million bottles of the pain reliever, prioritizing consumer safety. The case raised significant concerns about product safety and led to changes in packaging regulations across the industry.

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Religion & Philosophy

Mass Murder-Suicide in Jonestown by Jim Jones

November 18th, 1978 46 years ago

In Jonestown, Guyana, Jim Jones orchestrated a mass murder-suicide that resulted in the deaths of 918 individuals, including over 270 children. The tragic incident occurred after prolonged tensions and fears of impending intervention from authorities. Followers of the Peoples Temple were coerced into consuming a cyanide-laced drink, leading to a devastating loss of life within the commune.

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