1979 a bright flash resembling the detonation of a nuclear weapo 09 22
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1979 47 years ago Historical Events September 22 2 sources

A bright flash, resembling the detonation of a nuclear weapon, is observed near the Prince Edward Islands. Its cause is never determined.

On September 22, in the year 1979, A bright flash, resembling the detonation of a nuclear weapon, is observed near the Prince Edward Islands. Its cause is never determined. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of September 22, one of 440 recorded events on this date across all of history.

The Vela incident was an atmospheric nuclear explosion that occurred on 22 September 1979, near the South African territory of Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, roughly midway between Africa and Antarctica. This explosion is widely believed to have been an undeclared test of an Israeli nuclear weapon on the ocean surface, carried out with assistance from South Africa. Initially detected as a double flash of light by an American Vela Hotel satellite, further meteorological satellite, hydroacoustic, and radionuclide data support the event's identification as an atmospheric nuclear explosion.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on September 22, 1979 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
  • The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 5 September 2026.

On This Date in History 440

Type Year Date Event
Historical Events 2024 Sep 22 Anura Kumara Dissanayake is elected as the 9th President Of Sri Lanka.
Notable Deaths 2024 Sep 22 Roy Clay, American computer scientist (born 1929)
Notable Deaths 2024 Sep 22 Fredric Jameson, American academic and literary critic (born 1934)
Notable Deaths 2023 Sep 22 Altemio Sanchez, Puerto Rican serial killer and rapist (born 1958)
Notable Deaths 2022 Sep 22 Hilary Mantel, British author (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2022 Sep 22 Pal Singh Purewal, Punjabi engineer, author, scholar, and teacher (born 1931/1932)
Notable Deaths 2020 Sep 22 Neil Brannon, American politician (born 1940)
Notable Deaths 2018 Sep 22 Chas Hodges, English musician and singer (born 1943)
Notable Deaths 2018 Sep 22 Edna Molewa, South African politician (born 1957)
Notable Deaths 2016 Sep 22 Delphine Medjo, Cameroonian politician (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2015 Sep 22 Yogi Berra, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2014 Sep 22 Fernando Cabrita, Portuguese footballer and manager (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2014 Sep 22 Sahana Pradhan, Nepalese politician, Nepalese Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2014 Sep 22 Erik van der Wurff, Dutch pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1945)
Notable Deaths 2014 Sep 22 Hans E. Wallman, Swedish director, producer, and composer (born 1936)
Historical Events 2013 Sep 22 At least 75 people are killed in a suicide bombing at a Christian church in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Notable Deaths 2013 Sep 22 Gary Brandner, American author and screenwriter (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2013 Sep 22 Jane Connell, American actress and singer (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2013 Sep 22 David H. Hubel, Canadian-American neurophysiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2013 Sep 22 Álvaro Mutis, Colombian-Mexican author and poet (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2013 Sep 22 Hans Erich Slany, German industrial designer, founded TEAMS Design (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2013 Sep 22 Luciano Vincenzoni, Italian screenwriter (born 1926)
Selected Events 2013 Sep 22 Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, was attacked by two suicide bombers who…
Notable Deaths 2012 Sep 22 Hector Abhayavardhana, Sri Lankan theorist and academic (born 1919)
Notable Deaths 2012 Sep 22 Irving Adler, American mathematician, author, and academic (born 1913)
Notable Deaths 2012 Sep 22 Juan H. Cintrón García, Puerto Rican businessman and politician, 126th Mayor of Ponce (born 1919)
Notable Deaths 2012 Sep 22 Grigory Frid, Russian pianist and composer (born 1915)
Notable Deaths 2012 Sep 22 Jan Hendrik van den Berg, Dutch psychiatrist and academic (born 1914)
Notable Deaths 2011 Sep 22 Knut Steen, Norwegian sculptor (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2010 Sep 22 Jackie Burroughs, British-born Canadian actress (born 1939)
Notable Deaths 2010 Sep 22 Eddie Fisher, American singer (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2010 Sep 22 Vyacheslav Tsaryov, Russian footballer (born 1971)
Notable Births 2009 Sep 22 Coco Yoshizawa, Japanese skateboarder
Notable Deaths 2009 Sep 22 Edward Delaney, Irish sculptor (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2008 Sep 22 Thomas Dörflein, German zookeeper (born 1963)
Notable Deaths 2008 Sep 22 Petrus Schaesberg, German painter, historian, and educator (born 1967)
Notable Deaths 2007 Sep 22 ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá, last Hand of the Cause of God in the Baháʼí Faith (born 1911)
Notable Deaths 2007 Sep 22 Marcel Marceau, French mime and actor (born 1923)
Historical Events 2006 Sep 22 Twenty-three people were killed in a maglev train collision in Lathen, Germany.
Notable Deaths 2006 Sep 22 Edward Albert, American actor (born 1951)
Notable Deaths 2006 Sep 22 Carla Benschop, Dutch basketball player and educator (born 1950)
Notable Births 2004 Sep 22 Jessie Murph, American singer and songwriter
Notable Deaths 2004 Sep 22 Pete Schoening, American mountaineer (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2004 Sep 22 Ray Traylor Jr., American professional wrestler better-known as the Big Boss Man (born 1963)
Notable Deaths 2003 Sep 22 Gordon Jump, American actor (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2003 Sep 22 Hugo Young, English journalist and author (born 1938)
Selected Events 2003 Sep 22 Dolphin, the first emulator for the GameCube that could run commercial video games, was released.
Notable Deaths 2002 Sep 22 Jan de Hartog, Dutch-American author and playwright (born 1914)
Notable Deaths 2001 Sep 22 Isaac Stern, Polish-Ukrainian violinist and conductor (born 1920)
Notable Births 2000 Sep 22 Louise Christie, British rhythm gymnast

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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