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when it was found
Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1881 -
Michigan forest fire
Red Cross undertakes its first disaster relief effort aiding victims of Michigan forest fires. -
national children's fund
Red Cross National Children's Fund is set up to aid youth in postwar Europe. -
angels of mercy
Irving Berlin's "Angels of Mercy" becomes official Red Cross wartime song. -
world war 2
Red Cross ends its World War II blood program for the military after collecting more than 13 million pints. -
earthquake hits Alaska
Red Cross aids victims of massive earthquake that hits Anchorage, Alaska. -
loma prieta
Red Cross aids 14,000 families affected by the Loma Prieta earthquake in Northern California. -
armed forces emergency services
Red Cross opens an Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) Center with hi-tech emergency communications service for military. -
Saharan Africa
Red Cross joins other groups to launch Measles Initiative, five-year plan to eradicate the disease in sub-Saharan Africa by immunizing children. -
hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina becomes one of the most destructive storms in the history of the Gulf Coast, killing nearly 2,000 and leaving millions homeless. Red Cross mobilizes its largest, single disaster relief effort to date. Two subsequent hurricanes of significant strength hit, Rita and Wilma, compounding the devastation and impacting relief operations. -
earthquake hits haiti
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits Haiti, leaving 1.5 million people homeless and prompting one of the largest single-country responses in the history of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network. The public generously donates in support of the relief efforts, including donating via text messages on mobile phone, leading to a groundbreaking $32 million raised via SMS.
