Krakatoa Shook Earth

When Krakatoa erupted on August 27, 1883, the explosion was heard about 4,800 kilometers away in Rodrigues Island, near Mauritius. The pressure wave circled the Earth four times. The eruption also generated tsunamis up to 30 meters high that killed over 36,000 people.

Krakatoa's ash turned skies red and purple across the globe for months. Some historians believe Edvard Munch's famous painting "The Scream" was inspired by the apocalyptic Krakatoa sunsets visible from Norway. The eruption also became the first major natural disaster reported globally via telegraph, reaching newspapers worldwide within hours.