13 Major Events That Were Underreported at the Time
These 13 significant events quietly unfolded in the background until their full impact became impossible to ignore.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Not every historic event receives the attention it deserves as soon as they happen. Though, there are a few that dominate the headlines. There are others that go ignored. These 13 neglected events passed beneath the radar yet made indelible imprints on history, politics, and society.
1. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932–1972)
pingnews.com on Flickr
For 40 years, Black men in Alabama were misled into believing they were receiving treatment for syphilis. The truth? Doctors were observing the progression of the disease, untreated.
2. The U.S.-Backed Coup in Iran (1953)
Global Panorama on Flickr
The CIA helped overthrow Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. At the time, American media barely covered the operation. It was only decades later that the full story came to light.
3. The MOVE Bombing in Philadelphia (1985)
Wikimedia Commons
Police dropped a bomb on a row house occupied by the MOVE group, killing 11 people, including children. Despite the massive fire and loss of life, national coverage was minimal. The incident exposed deep issues in policing and racial justice.
4. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984)
Julian Nyča on Wikimedia Commons
A chemical leak at a Union Carbide plant in India killed thousands and sickened hundreds of thousands more. U.S. media gave the disaster far less coverage than it deserved.
5. The Flint Water Crisis (Initial Reports in 2014)
Alberryii on Wikimedia Commons
For over a year, officials denied that Flint’s water was unsafe, and the media paid little attention. Local residents raised alarms, but it wasn’t until 2015 that the national press caught on.
6. The Tulsa Race Massacre (1921)
Marc Carlson on Flickr
White mobs burned down the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing hundreds. Newspapers at the time largely ignored or downplayed the violence.
7. The Panama Papers Leak (2016)
Anton Muhajir on Flickr
This global data dump exposed how elites hid their wealth in offshore tax havens. While international media dug deep, many American outlets gave it surprisingly light coverage.
8. COINTELPRO – FBI Surveillance of Activists (1956–1971)
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The FBI secretly infiltrated civil rights and anti-war groups, including targeting Martin Luther King Jr. The program’s existence wasn’t widely acknowledged until leaked documents surfaced.
9. The West Virginia Water Contamination (2014)
Yogendra Singh on Pexels
A chemical spill contaminated the water supply for 300,000 people. Coverage was limited, even as residents were unable to drink or bathe safely for weeks.
10. The Mass Sterilizations of Native American Women (1960s–1970s)
Carol M. Highsmith on Wikimedia Commons
Tens of thousands of Indigenous women were sterilized without proper consent by government-funded programs. The issue received little attention outside academic and activist circles.
11. Bohemian Grove Elite Meetings
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Each summer, influential men from politics and business gather privately in California’s redwoods. Decisions made here have allegedly shaped domestic and foreign policy.
12. The Battle of Blair Mountain (1921)
Adam Jones on Flickr
One of the largest labor uprisings in U.S. history took place in West Virginia between coal miners and company-backed forces. The scale was staggering — 10,000 workers and machine guns deployed — yet it barely made national news.
13. The Toxics Release Inventory Program Cuts (2020)
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The EPA quietly scaled back the amount of pollution data required from companies. Most outlets ignored it, though it weakened a key transparency tool for environmental regulation. Experts warned it could increase public health risks.