Three Mile Island
Nuclear Accident Near Harrisburg, PA.
WHEN
The accident began at 4:00 am on March 28, 1979
What happened?
There were several malfunctions on the island that day, both from humans and the machines, which let to over half of the reactor core being melted and radioactive gases being released into the air.
What did they do about it?
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said that the amount of radioactivity released from the accident wasn't enough to harm anyone, but the Governor of Pennsylvania still evacuated all the pregnant women in the area.
What happened afterwards?
The fear from people caused several plants to be shut down after this accident. There was also a temporary "hold" put on licensing of all new reactors. The reactor involved in the incident was not approachable for for more than a decade after the accident.