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.
The Littlest Skyscraper: How J.D. McMahon’s 480-Inch Con Fooled Investors in 1919
In 1919, J.D. McMahon convinced investors to fund a 480-foot skyscraper, but he labeled the plans as 480 inches, building a 40-foot structure instead. After taking $200,000, he won in court since the plans matched what he built.
Nordlingen, The Town Inside A Meteorite Crater With Millions Of Meteorite Diamonds
The German town of Nördlingen is embedded with 72,000 tons of microscopic diamonds. About 15 million years ago, a meteorite hit this region, and the impact created a massive depression and formed rocks containing diamonds, glass, and crystals. The town was built in the impact crater sometime around 898 CE.
How Dmitri Mendeleev Developed the periodic table of the elements
1850 Dmitri Mendeleev walked almost a thousand miles to Moscow so he could apply for the University of Moscow. Although he was not accepted, he walked to St. Petersburg where he was accepted, And with that education, he developed the the periodic table of the elements
Titanoboa cerrejonensis, fossils of the world’s largest species of snake
In 2009 in a coal mine of Columbia, scientists discovered fossils of the world’s largest species of snake. The species is called “Titanoboa cerrejonensis,“and it is from around 60 million years ago. It would have had measured about 48 feet long and weighed about 2,500 pounds
Ancient Jericho: The First Walled City In History
The ancient city of Jericho is the world's oldest walled city, with evidence of stone fortifications dating back nearly 9000 years.
story of the youngest mother in the world at age of five - Lina Medina
Lina Medina, a five-year-old Peruvian girl, became the youngest mother in history in 1939 when she gave birth to a boy.
The Day an Israeli F-15 Landed with One Wing: Zivi Nedivi’s Unbelievable Mid-Air Survival
Discover the astonishing true story of Israeli pilot Zivi Nedivi, who safely landed an F-15 after a mid-air collision tore off its entire right wing. Learn how skill, quick thinking, and the F-15’s unique design turned a disaster into a legendary feat in aviation history
New London School Explosion, Deadliest school disaster which killed almost 300 children and teachers
In 1937, a gas leak in the basement at the local school in New London, Texas caused a massive explosion which killed almost 300 children and teachers, the deadliest school disaster in US history. Adolf Hitler even sent his condolences by telegram.
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.
William James Sidis: The smartest person yet forgotten by people
William James Sidis, who was only 11 years old when he enrolled in Hardvard, finished his primary and secondary schooling in less than a year. He knew eight foreign languages by the age of eight and even invented his own language, "vedergood."
The story of a man who spent 72 hours with 72 venomous snakes to prove they only bite when provoked
In the 1980s, an Indian man spent 72 hours in a glass cabin with 72 snakes, some of which were extremely venomous. His aim was to prove that snakes only attack when provoked. Remarkably, he was not bitten once in those 72 hours and even set a Guinness World Record in the process.
What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?
Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.
During the 1996 Olympic bombing, Richard Jewell falsely accused of committing the crime after saving dozens of people
Richard Jewell, an American security guard, discovered a bomb during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and assisted in the evacuation, but was later wrongfully accused and faced public scrutiny. He was cleared, but it had a lasting impact on him until his death in 2007 at the age of 44.
The worst blizzard in recorded history: the 1972 Iran blizzard
The deadliest snowstorm ever recorded occurred in Iran in 1972. It lasted for a week, burying areas in 26 feet of snow and killing over 4,000 people, including the entire populations of three villages.
The History Behind the “No One Dies Alone” Program
In 1986, while doing a night shift at the hospital, Sandra Clarke, a registered nurse, was asked by an elderly patient to stay. She promised to be back after checking on her other patients, but by the time she returned, the gentleman had passed away. Clarke became one of the key figures in launching No One Dies Alone, a program that allows volunteers to sit with terminal patients who have no one else.
The Bizarre (And Magical) Duel Between Chung Ling Soo And Ching Ling Foo
Ching Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo were two magicians from the early 20th century who were bitter rivals. While Ching Ling Foo was genuinely Chinese, Chung Ling Soo was actually a New Yorker named William Robinson.
1972 Andes Plane Crash Survivor recall the terrifying Struggles to Stay Alive
On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying a rugby team from Uruguay crashed in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The survivors were in brutal conditions - high altitude, bitter cold, and the lack of food—and faced the most terrible choice—eating the frozen flesh of their dead friends or starving to death themselves.
Marion Stokes recorded 30 years of television
Marion Stokes, a Philadelphia woman began taping whatever was on television in 1979 and didn’t stop until her death in 2012. The 71,000 VHS and Betamax tapes she made are the most complete collection preserving this era of TV. They are being digitized by the Internet Archive.
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.
How European Rabbits Took over Australia
In 1859, wealthy settler Thomas Austin released 13 wild rabbits on his Australian estate. By 1920, their population grew to 10 billion.
The history of Flour sack clothing fashion
After Kansas mill owners found women reused flour sack materials into apparel in the 1920s and 1930s, they started applying patterned designs to give families with more fashionable patterns and material.
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.
Remembering the 1945 Empire State Building Disaster: When a Plane Met Skyscraper
An airplane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. Among other damage, plane parts severed the cables of an elevator and the woman inside fell over 70 stories. She lived and holds the world record for the longest survived elevator fall.
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.
Max Headroom Incident: America’s Creepiest TV Hack
In 1987 a man hijacked a television station during an episode of Dr. Who and wore a Max Headroom mask and uttered nonsense, and he still hasn’t been caught
