-
Construction
In March of 1970, the construction of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant began -
Reactors
In 1972, a group of scientists working at the power plant discussed the type of reactors they were going to use. They chose to use RBMK (a boiling water reactor). They said it was the safest and cheapest reactor to use. -
Cooling Reservoir
In 1976, workers started filling the cooling reservoir for the power plant. -
Nuclear Reactor
The very first Chernobyl reactor is now ready to operate. -
The 2nd Nuclear Reactor
Just a year later, the 2nd reactor is operational. -
Pripyat
The town was officially certified as a city and the Chernobyl Power Plant reached 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electrical output. -
Core Meltdown
There was a core meltdown in the 1st reactor, but the Soviet Union did not announce this until a further date. -
The Final Reactor
The 4th and final reactor goes into operation during December -
The Test Begins
Scientists decide to conduct a test of what would happen if there was a power outage. -
Disaster Strikes
Cooling turbines are turned off, causing a huge explosion that is estimate to be 400 times the size of the Hiroshima bomb. -
Pripyat Evacuation
Pripyat has to be evacuated because of radiation and fires. -
Period: to
Aftermath
Pripyat was turned from a populous, thriving city into a ghost town. The Elephant's Foot, radioactive waste from the explosion, is still the most radioactive thing on Earth. Radiation levels in the area are still high, making it unsafe to go without protection.