Historical eventNovember 121970
1970 Bhola cyclone
The deadliest tropical cyclone in history made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh), killing at least 250,000 people.
In context
- When
- Thursday, November 12 197056 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 20th century · 1970s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
At a glance
Dates: From 1970.
What happened
The 1970 Bhola cyclone, also known as the Great Cyclone of 1970 or simply the Bhola Cyclone, was the deadliest tropical cyclone on record, as well as one of the deadliest humanitarian disasters ever recorded. It struck East Pakistan and India's West Bengal on 12 November 1970. At least 300,000 people died in the storm, possibly as many as 500,000, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta.
November 12 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 19701970 Bhola cyclone
- 2011Silvio Berlusconi
- 2011Bid Kaneh explosion
- 2014Mil Mi-24
- 2014European Space Agency
- 2014Philae (spacecraft)
- 2015Suicide attack
- 20172017 Iran–Iraq earthquake
- 2020PlayStation 5
- 2021Los Angeles County Superior Court
- 2022Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Also in 1970
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Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“1970 Bhola cyclone”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1970-bhola-cyclone-1970-november-12, accessed October 25, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did 1970 Bhola cyclone happen?
November 12 1970 — 56 years ago, on a Thursday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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