

10 world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruptions in history
Volcanic eruptions can devastate cities, change the world’s atmosphere, and devastate economic systems. They can create molten lava rivers, mudslides, suffocating ash, and poisonous gases that cause chaos around the world for years.
The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), like the Richter scale for earthquakes, is used to determine the magnitude of a volcanic eruption. Volcanic explosions are ranked from 1 to 8, with 1 being a gentle lava outpouring and 8 being a mega-colossal eruption.
The size of an eruption is a strong indicator, but it does not always predict its effect. Calculating the potential loss of life is one of the most common ways to assess the severity of an eruption. Deaths can occur not only as a result of an eruption’s effect, but also as a result of a lack of food.
Economically, volcanic eruptions can be devastating. Although calculating the economic cost of ancient eruptions is primarily theoretical, the costs of more recent eruptions are determined by calculating the loss of infrastructure and income to local residents. Volcanic eruptions cost $152.6 billion in damages between 1995 and 2015, or $7.6 billion per year, according to a United Nations report.
A volcanic explosion’s effects can be massive, from its size to its death toll to its economic cost. Here is ten world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruption in history:
1. Santa Maria, Guatemala, 25 October 1902 (VEI6)

The Santa Maria volcano was inactive for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. That is, until 1902 when it erupted violently due to a series of earthquakes in the Central American region. At least 5000 people were killed in the eruption, but many believe this figure is exaggerated. Over the course of 19 days, the eruption created a 28-kilometer-high column of pyroclastic debris, resulting in 5.5 km3 of pyroclastic debris. For days, the ash from the eruption obscured Guatemala’s sky, spreading all the way to San Francisco. Damages are estimated to be in the millions of dollars.
2. Mt Vesuvius, Italy, 79 AD (VEI5)

Mt Vesuvius has erupted many times in human history, but the most famous is the terrifying eruption of 79AD. On August 24, Vesuvius erupted, burying the surrounding cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash, mud, and poisonous gases. The eruption claimed the lives of 16,000 people. The cities were not excavated and rediscovered until 1595. The cost of a similar eruption today will be in the billions.
3. Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991 (VEI6)


The Mount Pinatubo eruption was the twentieth century’s second-largest volcanic eruption. The volcano erupted on June 15, sending a 35-kilometer-high ash cloud into the sky. The eruption triggered huge pyroclastic flows and expelled nearly 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, lowering global temperatures. Despite the fact that only 722 people were killed, the eruption affected over 200,000 people. The cost of the eruption was estimated to be in the range of $200 million.
4. Nevado del Ruiz, Columbia, 1985 (VEI3)

Despite its small scale, the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz had catastrophic consequences. The mudflow that followed the eruption was the most devastating aspect of the event, burying the town of Armero and killing 20,000 people. The most destructive volcanic eruption, according to the International Disaster Database, was Nevado, which cost an estimated $1 billion.
5. Mt Unzen, Japan, 1792 (VEI2)

Mt. Unzen’s eruption is still Japan’s deadliest volcanic eruption. The explosion caused the volcano’s dome to collapse, resulting in a huge landslide that buried Shimabara and flowed into the sea, causing a 57-meter-high tsunami. Around 15,000 people were killed in the disaster. Damages to agriculture and fisheries facilities is expected to cost $17.4 billion yen ($150 million).
6. Ilopango, El Salvador, 450AD (VEI6+)

Ilopango’s first eruption, in 450 AD, was the second-largest volcanic eruption in the last 200,000 years. The magnitude of this eruption is thought to have killed many Mayan cities. For more than a year, the skies were filled with ash and dust. It is estimated that up to 100,000 people were killed and over 400,000 were displaced as a result of the eruption. It is believed to have been the cause of the AD 535-536 global cooling, which resulted in crop failures from Rome to China.
7. Mt Pelee, Caribbean, 1902 (VEI4)

Mt Pelee was believed to be inactive until it erupted in the worst eruption of the twentieth century. Mt Pelee erupted with a blast of hot gas and volcanic rubble on May 8, devastating the entire city of St Pierre. Just two people out of the 28,000 who lived in St. Pierre survived. The eruption was estimated to have cost $50 million.
8. Laki, Iceland, 1783 (VEI6)

The Laki eruption’s destruction was felt around the world for years after it happened. The eruption at Laki lasted 8 months and ejected 14.7km3 of lava. Toxic gases polluted Iceland’s crops and destroyed 60% of the country’s grazing livestock. The volcano emitted enough sulfur dioxide to trigger acid rain and a decrease in global temperatures. A famine followed the eruption, killing over 10,000 Icelanders, about a quarter of the country’s population at the time. As Laki’s toxic eruption spread south, it killed 23,000 people in the United Kingdom and triggered a famine in Egypt. The European famine triggered by the eruption, according to some environmental historians, may have been a trigger for the French Revolution.
9. Krakatoa, Indonesia, 1883 (VEI 6)

Krakatoa, an Indonesian volcano, erupted in one of the most destructive eruptions in modern human history, destroying the island on which it sits. A series of huge eruptions ripped the volcano’s walls apart on the morning of August 27. The last eruption of Krakatoa was four times more strong than the biggest bomb ever detonated by humans. Its radio waves circled the globe seven times. It triggered a series of tsunamis that ravaged on the area, killing 36,000 people and obliterating entire villages. The cost of the eruption has been projected to be as high as $1.5 billion by others.
10. Mt Tambora, Indonesia, 1815 (VEI 7)

Mt. Tambora is the deadliest volcanic eruption in modern human history, with up to 120,000 people killed. Tambora erupted on April 10, 1815, spewing volcanic ash 40 kilometers into the atmosphere. The eruption was the most strong in 500 years. The intensity of the pyroclastic flow entering the ocean resulted in the formation of a series of massive tsunamis. The planet suffered a significant temperature drop as a result of the massive amount of SO2 released, which resulted in global crop failures. Thousands of Chinese people died of starvation as typhus spread through Europe. The price of grain in Switzerland more than quadrupled in the two years following the blast.

Mario Segale, Developer Who Inspired Nintendo to Name Super Mario
Super Mario is named after real-life businessman Mario Segale, who was renting out a warehouse to Nintendo. After Nintendo fell far behind on rent, Segale did not evict them but gave them a second chance to come up with the money. Nintendo succeeded and named their main character after him.

Underground Railroad to Mexico freed thousands of slaves in 1829
Slavery was abolished in Mexico in 1829. Slaves were escaping to Mexico, and slaveholders in the US were aware of this. The US attempted to get Mexico to sign a fugitive slave treaty, which would have required Mexico to send back escaped slaves to the US. But, Mexico refused, arguing that slaves were free as soon as they set foot on Mexican soil.

Robert Odlum, the first person to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge
The first person to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge was a professional high diver who "wanted to demonstrate that people did not die simply by falling through the air, thus encouraging people to be willing to jump from a burning building into a net." He proved himself correct by safely falling 135 feet through the air and dying only when he hit the water.

Why the Brooklyn Bridge Was Once Crossed by 17 Camels and 21 Elephants
On May 30, 1883, a rumor that the Brooklyn Bridge was going to collapse caused a stampede, which killed at least at twleve people. To prove the bridge was safe, P.T. Barnum led a parade of 21 elephants over it.

Thomas Baker's heroic act that earned him the "Medal of Honor" was 8 bullets until death
Thomas Baker instructed his team to leave him with a pistol and eight bullets propped up against a tree after he was injured. Later, American troops discovered the now-deceased Baker in the same location, lying next to eight dead Japanese soldiers and carrying an empty pistol.

The touching story of David Vetter (bubble boy), the 'boy who lived in a bubble
David Vetter lived his whole 12 years in sterile “bubble”. He was “outside” for 20 second after being removed from his mother’s womb. He never touched any human.

Quaker Oats Fed Children with Radioactive Oatmeal
In the 1940s and 1950s, Quaker Oats and MIT conducted experiments on radioactive iron and calcium-containing cereal. The diet was part of a study to see if the nutrients in Quaker oatmeal traveled throughout the body. In January 1998, a $1.85 million settlement was reached for 30 victims who came forward.

Before Radar: How Giant Acoustic Mirrors Detected Enemy Aircraft in WWI and WWII
Long before radar revolutionized air defense, enormous acoustic mirrors and specialized sound locators stood as the first line of defense against enemy aircraft. Designed as giant “ears,” these structures amplified distant engine noises, allowing operators to detect incoming planes by sound alone. Dive into the intriguing world of these pioneering listening devices, their operation, limitations, and enduring legacy in military history.

Hedy Lamarr, A Hollywood actress who also a mathematician and inventor
Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr was also a mathematician and the inventor of frequency hopping spread spectrum, a technology still used for bluetooth and wifi

Shizo Kanakuri’s 1912 Olympic Marathon Finished 54 Years
At the 1912 Olympics, a marathon runner quit and went home to Japan without telling officials and was considered a missing person in Sweden for 50 years. In 1966, he was invited to complete the marathon. His time: 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20.379 seconds.

Martin Couney, Saved Thousands of Premature Babies Wasn’t a Doctor at All
Martin Couney never qualified as a medical doctor. However, in the 1900s, he saved thousands of premature babies by exhibiting them in incubators at his Coney Island sideshow. Over the course of his career, he is said to have saved about 6,500 babies that had previously been written off by mainstream medicine.

Xin Zhui And The Story Of The Stunningly Intact Lady Dai Mummy
A 2,000-year-old mummy of a Chinese woman, Xin Zhui, also known as “Lady Dai,” was preserved in 21 gallons of an “unknown liquid.” With her original hair, organs, eyebrows, and eyelashes intact, the mummy still has blood in her veins. Her skin and ligaments are soft and as flexible as that of a living person.

how Ferris wheel invented
In 1891, Chicago challenged engineers to create a structure to surpass the Eiffel Tower for the World's Columbian Exposition. George Washington Gale Ferris jr. responded with the original Ferris Wheel, a giant rotating structure elevating visitors above the city. This invention became an iconic attraction at the fair.

Sylvan Goldman: The Visionary Who Revolutionized Shopping with the Cart
The inventor of shopping carts, Sylvan Goldman, had to hire several male and female models to push carts around in his store, demonstrate their utility, and explain their use to other customers, due to not catching on initially.

The Arabia Steamboat: Unearthing a 19th Century Time Capsule from the Missouri River
The Arabia was a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River in 1856. Over time, the river shifted 800 meters to the east, eventually turning the site of the sinking into a field. The steamboat remained under 45 feet of slit and topsoil until 1988, when it was excavated. The mud, as it turned out, was such a great preserver that most of the artifacts on board were found to be intact. They even found jars of preserved apples that were still edible!

Will & William Wests: The puzzling situation of two inmates who are identical but not related
These are the mugshots of Will West and William West, and they are not related. They were both sent to Leavenworth Prison at the same time, in 1903, and after some confusion, the staff understood they had two different prisoners with the nearly same name, who looked exactly alike. They are part of the reason fingerprints are now used as identification.

D.B. Cooper: Man who hijacked a plane and jumped out with a $200,000
On November 22, 1971, DB Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727, drank a whisky, smoked a fag, and then jumped out of the plane with $200,000. He was never again seen.

Nathan's Famous Doctor Stunt
When Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs first opened in 1916, the owner hired people to dress as doctors and eat hot dogs outside his shop, to convince people his hot dogs were healthy.

Louis Le Prince Invented the motion picture camera, and then he mysteriously disappeared
Louis Le Prince, the inventor of motion pictures, vanished without a trace in 1890. Thomas Edison quickly claimed the title of "first and sole inventor of cinema," even taking Le Prince's son to court to dispute it. A few years later, the son also dies under mysterious circumstances.

Blanche Monnier: Imprisoned For 25 Years For Falling in Love
Blanche Monnier, she was a French woman noted for her beauty, she wished to marry an old lawyer that her mother disapproved of, so she locked her in a small dark room in her attic for 25 years.

Philippines, the largest supplier of Nurses in the World
Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of nurses, supplying roughly 25% of all overseas nurses worldwide.

What exactly was the US's 'Ghost Army' during WWII?
During WW2, there was a special unit of men dubbed the ‘Ghost Army’. The unit was made of artists, creative and engineers and their job was to create deception about the enemy. From inflatable tanks to phony convoys to scripted conversations in bars intended to spread disinformation, they used all possible tricks to fool the enemy.

George Dantzig solved two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics mistakenly as assignment
In 1939, George Dantzig arrived late to his statistics class. On the board were two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics written as an example by his professor. Dantzig mistook the examples for homework assignments. He solved the “unsolved” problems and submitted the homework to his professor a few days later. His solutions earned him a doctorate.

Remembering the miracles of the 1985 Mexico earthquake (unbelievable stories)
In 1985, after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City, nearly all newborn babies survived a collapsed hospital. They are known as “Miracle Babies” for surviving 7 days without nourishment, water, warmth or human contact.

Graves holding hands over wall, A Catholic woman and her Protestant husband grave
A protestant man and a Catholic woman who weren't allowed from being buried together in a graveyard in 19th-century Holland turned their graves into a monument showing them holding hands across the wall separating them.