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Zero Hour
Zero Hour Home
ZERO HOUR SERIES 2
The capture of Saddam
Timeline
Saddam's who's who list
Bush's who's who list
Photo gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2
Section 1.6
Section 1.7
Section 1.8
Section 1.9
Section 1.10
Killing the Cocaine King
Timeline
Section 2.2
Section 2.3
Section 2.4
Section 2.5
Section 2.6
Section 2.7
Section 2.8
Section 2.9
Section 2.10
The Bali Bombing
Timeline
Photo Gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2
Photo Gallery 3
Photo Gallery 4
Section 3.6
Section 3.7
Section 3.8
Section 3.9
Section 3.10
Oklahoma City Bombing
Timeline
Photo Gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2
Photo Gallery 3
Photo Gallery 4
Photo Gallery 5
Section 4.7
Section 4.8
Section 4.9
Section 4.10
Sinking of the Estonia
Timeline
Section 5.2
Section 5.3
Section 5.4
Section 5.5
Section 5.6
Section 5.7
Section 5.8
Section 5.9
Section 5.10
The Plot to Kill a Pope
Timeline
Section 6.2
Section 6.3
Section 6.4
Section 6.5
Section 6.6
Section 6.7
Section 6.8
Section 6.9
Section 6.10
Section 7
Section 7.1
Section 7.2
Section 7.3
Section 7.4
Section 7.5
Section 7.6
Section 7.7
Section 7.8
Section 7.9
Section 7.10
Section 8
Section 8.1
Section 8.2
Section 8.3
Section 8.4
Section 8.5
Section 8.6
Section 8.7
Section 8.8
Section 8.9
Section 8.10
Section 9
Section 9.1
Section 9.2
Section 9.3
Section 9.4
Section 9.5
Section 9.6
Section 9.7
Section 9.8
Section 9.9
Section 9.10
Section 10
Section 10.1
Section 10.2
Section 10.3
Section 10.4
Section 10.5
Section 10.6
Section 10.7
Section 10.8
Section 10.9
Section 10.10
Section 11
Section 11.1
Section 11.2
Section 11.3
Section 11.4
Section 11.5
Section 11.6
Section 11.7
Section 11.8
Section 11.9
Section 11.10
Section 12
Section 12.1
Section 12.2
Section 12.3
Section 12.4
Section 12.5
Section 12.6
Section 12.7
Section 12.8
Section 12.9
Section 12.10
Section 13
Section 13.1
Section 13.2
Section 13.3
Section 13.4
Section 13.5
Section 13.6
Section 13.7
Section 13.8
Section 13.9
Section 13.10
Section 14
Section 14.1
Section 14.2
Section 14.3
Section 14.4
Section 14.5
Section 14.6
Section 14.7
Section 14.8
Section 14.9
Section 14.10
Section 15
Section 15.1
Section 15.2
Section 15.3
Section 15.4
Section 15.5
Section 15.6
Section 15.7
Section 15.8
Section 15.9
Section 15.10
Section 16
Section 16.1
Section 16.2
Section 16.3
Section 16.4
Section 16.5
Section 16.6
Section 16.7
Section 16.8
Section 16.9
Section 16.10
Section 17
Section 17.1
Section 17.2
Section 17.3
Section 17.4
Section 17.5
Section 17.6
Section 17.7
Section 17.8
Section 17.9
Section 17.10
Section 18
Section 18.1
Section 18.2
Section 18.3
Section 18.4
Section 18.5
Section 18.6
Section 18.7
Section 18.8
Section 18.9
Section 18.10
Section 19
Section 19.1
Section 19.2
Section 19.3
Section 19.4
Section 19.5
Section 19.6
Section 19.7
Section 19.8
Section 19.9
Section 19.10
Section 20
Section 20.1
Section 20.2
Section 20.3
Section 20.4
Section 20.5
Section 20.6
Section 20.7
Section 20.8
Section 20.9
Section 20.10
Section 21
Section 21.1
Section 21.2
Section 21.3
Section 21.4
Section 21.5
Section 21.6
Section 21.7
Section 21.8
Section 21.9
Section 21.10
ZERO HOUR SERIES 1
Columbine High School massacre
Timeline
Section 22.2
Section 22.3
Section 22.4
Section 22.5
Section 22.6
Section 22.7
Section 22.8
Section 22.9
Section 22.10
The Chernobyl disaster
Timeline
Section 23.2
Section 23.3
Section 23.4
Section 23.5
Section 23.6
Section 23.7
Section 23.8
Section 23.9
Section 23.10
Tokyo's Sarin gas attack
Timeline
Section 24.2
Section 24.3
Section 24.4
Section 24.5
Section 24.6
Section 24.7
Section 24.8
Section 24.9
Section 24.10
9/11
Timeline
Section 25.2
Section 25.3
Section 25.4
Section 25.5
Section 25.6
Section 25.7
Section 25.8
Section 25.9
Section 25.10
Section 26
Section 26.1
Section 26.2
Section 26.3
Section 26.4
Section 26.5
Section 26.6
Section 26.7
Section 26.8
Section 26.9
Section 26.10
Section 27
Section 27.1
Section 27.2
Section 27.3
Section 27.4
Section 27.5
Section 27.6
Section 27.7
Section 27.8
Section 27.9
Section 27.10
Section 28
Section 28.1
Section 28.2
Section 28.3
Section 28.4
Section 28.5
Section 28.6
Section 28.7
Section 28.8
Section 28.9
Section 28.10
Section 29
Section 29.1
Section 29.2
Section 29.3
Section 29.4
Section 29.5
Section 29.6
Section 29.7
Section 29.8
Section 29.9
Section 29.10
Section 30
Section 30.1
Section 30.2
Section 30.3
Section 30.4
Section 30.5
Section 30.6
Section 30.7
Section 30.8
Section 30.9
Section 30.10
Section 31
Section 31.1
Section 31.2
Section 31.3
Section 31.4
Section 31.5
Section 31.6
Section 31.7
Section 31.8
Section 31.9
Section 31.10
Section 32
Section 32.1
Section 32.2
Section 32.3
Section 32.4
Section 32.5
Section 32.6
Section 32.7
Section 32.8
Section 32.9
Section 32.10
CHERNOBYL DISASTER - COUNTDOWN TIMELINE
In the early hours of 26th April 1986, an explosion ripped through Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl power station. A combination of procedure violation, design faults, breakdown in communications and a lack of adequate safety procedures led to the worst nuclear accident in history.
The operators conduct the test unaware of a hotspot at the base of the reactor. (Scene from Zero Hour).
The operators conduct the test unaware of a hotspot at the base of the reactor.

00:28 Power is reduced in Reactor 4 in preparation for the test. The operator in charge orders the power to be dropped lower than guidelines permit.

00:38 Reactor 4 is halted and the ability to control increasing power is lost.

01:00 Over the next 20 minutes the reactor is pushed back up to 7% power by removing most of the control rods. It is not built to operate at such low levels and the water pumps are difficult to control because of the test conditions.

Radioactive Sign. (Scene from Zero Hour).
Radioactive sign

01:22 The operators believe they have the most stable conditions for the test. They are unaware of a hotspot that has built up at the base of the reactor. The operator blocks the automatic twin-turbine shutdown that should occur at low water level, due to a fear that a shutdown would abort the test.

01:23 The test begins. There is a sharp surge in power, due to a flaw in the reactor’s design. It reaches 120 times its full power in a few seconds. The radioactive fuel disintegrates and pressure from excess steam, which was supposed to go to the turbines, breaks the pressure tubes and blows off the entire top shield of the reactor.


* Images from Zero Hour program

Images copyright 2005 Discovery Communications Inc.