Nanchang Metro opened
Nanchang Metro, officially Nanchang Rail Transit, is a rapid transit system in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. As of 2021, four lines are operational. The Metro opened for commercial operation in December 2015. The network is currently 128.3 km (79.7 mi) in length in December 2021 with 4 lines. A total length of 163 km (101.3 mi) of network is planned, with Line 5 which is currently under planning.
2006 Hengchun earthquakes
The 2006 Hengchun earthquakes occurred on December 26 at 20:26 and 20:34 local time off the southwest coast of Taiwan in the Luzon Strait, which connects the South China Sea with the Philippine Sea. The International Seismological Centre measured the shocks at 7.0 and 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale. The earthquakes not only caused casualties and building damage, but several submarine communications cables were cut, disrupting telecommunication services in various parts of Asia.
Line 3 (Guangzhou Metro) opened
Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro is a 65.43-kilometer (40.66 mi) rapid transit line connects Panyu Square to Tianhe Coach Terminal. The entire line, including all track and stations, is located in tunnels. Its 57.93 km (36.00 mi) main branch, excluding the 7.5 km (4.66 mi) branch between Tianhe Coach Terminal and Tiyu Xilu, is now the third longest continuous subway tunnel in the world, and the longest rail tunnel of any kind (surpassing the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland).
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
A major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1-9.3 Mw struck with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was caused by a rupture along the fault between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate, and reached a Mercalli intensity up to IX in some areas. A massive tsunami with waves up to 30 m (100 ft) high, known in some countries as the Boxing Day Tsunami after the Boxing Day holiday, devastated communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries in one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
2003 Bam earthquake
An earthquake struck the Kerman province of southeastern Iran at 01:56 UTC (5:26 am Iran Standard Time) on December 26, 2003. The shock had a moment magnitude of 6.6 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The earthquake was particularly destructive in Bam, with the death toll amounting to at least 34,000 people and injuring up to 200,000. The effects of the earthquake were exacerbated by the use of mud brick as the standard construction medium; many of the area's structures did not comply with earthquake regulations set in 1989.
Charles Babbage was born
Charles Babbage was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered by some to be "father of the computer".
