Historical eventMay 41988

PEPCON disaster

The PEPCON disaster rocks Henderson, Nevada, as tons of Space Shuttle fuel detonate during a fire.

Everything on May 4Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, May 4 198838 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1980s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1988.

What happened

The PEPCON disaster rocks Henderson, Nevada, as tons of Space Shuttle fuel detonate during a fire.

May 4 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1988PEPCON disaster
  2. 1994Prime minister
  3. 1998Sacramento, California
  4. 2000Ken Livingstone
  5. 2002EAS Airlines Flight 4226
  6. 2007Greensburg, Kansas
  7. 20142011–2014 terrorist attacks in Kenya
  8. 2015Parliament of Malta
  9. 20192019 W Series
  10. 2019W Series (championship)
  11. 2023Mladenovac and Smederevo shootings

Also in 1988

  • September 9Vietnam Airlines Flight 831Vietnam Airlines Flight 831 crashes in Khu Khot, Thailand, while on approach to Don Muang International Airport, killing 76.
  • March 14Johnson South Reef skirmishChina defeated Vietnam in a naval altercation while attempting to establish oceanographic observation posts on the Spratly Islands.
  • September 12Hurricane GilbertHurricane Gilbert devastates Jamaica; it turns towards Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula two days later, causing an estimated $5 billion in damage.
  • September 13Hurricane GilbertHurricane Gilbert reached a minimum pressure of 888 mb (26.22 inHg) with sustained flight-level winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), making it th…
  • September 188888 UprisingThe 8888 Uprising in Myanmar comes to an end.
  • September 18Henri NamphyGeneral Henri Namphy, president of Haiti, is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by General Prosper Avril.
  • September 18Magna Charta UniversitatumThe Magna Charta Universitatum, asserting key principles essential to the free operation of universities, is signed in Bologna by the rec…
  • August 10Civil Liberties Act of 1988The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 became law, authorizing reparations to surviving Japanese Americans interned during World War II.

Everything we record for 1988 →

Sources

Cite this page

“PEPCON disaster”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/pepcon-disaster-1988-may-4, accessed October 25, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did PEPCON disaster happen?

May 4 1988 — 38 years ago, on a Wednesday.

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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