In early November 2001, heavy rainstorms struck Algeria after months of drought. Hundreds were killed and thousands injured when a deluge of mud, debris and water poured from the hills into the city of Algiers.

The war in Afghanistan caused many Afghans to flee to refugee camps in the neighboring countries Pakistan and Iran.

On September 11th, 2001, the United States was the target of a well-organized terrorist attack. Four planes were hijacked and turned into suicide bombs - two planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York, a third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington and a fourth plane went down in rural Pennsylvania.

Earthquake in Peru June 23, 2001

Earthquakes in Gujarat in western India January 2001

On Saturday, January 13 2001, an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale rocked the small Central American country of El Salvador.