This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the research that has significantly impacted the advancement of disaster management models and approaches since the early 20th century. This review article focuses on scholarly papers indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, which present disaster management models. The selection criteria for these articles were based on their circular models or visual representations of disaster and crisis management from a diverse range of perspectives since 1920. Various disciplines, including public administration, sociology, geography, psychology, and civil defence, have shaped disaster management. Before the 1970s, pioneers in the field, including Prince (1920), Carr (1932), Powell (1954), Chapman (1962), and Stoddard (1968), analysed the impact of disasters on society, and their studies were a significant contribution to the development of disaster management. The circular disaster management model was first introduced by Baird et al. in 1975, focusing on relief-based initiatives. In 1987, Mitroff and fellow researchers delved deeper into the subject, exploring reactive and proactive approaches while integrating the notion of vulnerability. Later models incorporated entitlements such as development, economic progress, risk, hazard, and strategic planning. As time passed, these models grew more extensive and all-encompassing. Nevertheless, disaster management still requires further advancement to tackle crucial challenges like climate change, sustainable development goals, resilience, and the Sendai risk reduction framework. It is recommended that these issues be addressed under the leadership of public administration.