August 27: On This Day in World History … briefly
The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa contributes to the global cooling and subsequent dystopia seen in the 2018 video game Frostpunk.
1883: Krakatoa blows its top
The most catastrophic volcanic eruption witnessed by man reached its climax on the Indonesian island of Rakata on August 27, 1883. In May 1883, the 6 000ft (1 800m) high Krakatoa volcano, which has its base 1 000ft (300m) below sea level, began to show signs of rousing from its 200-year slumber.
Activity died down only to resume again in June and became more terrifying in its effects. At 10am, Krakatoa erupted with a fury that was heard in Australia – more than 2 200 miles (3 540km) away. Debris was tossed 50 miles (80km) into the atmosphere, blotting out the sun and plunging the region into darkness.
Gigantic tidal waves up to 120ft (36m) high devastated the coastal towns of Java and Sumatra, leaving over 36 000 people dead. The explosion has been theorized to be a source of inspiration for Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’. The reddish sky in the background is the artist’s memory of the effects of the powerful volcanic eruption of Krakatoa, which deeply tinted sunset skies red in parts of the Western hemisphere for months during 1883 and 1884, about a decade before Munch painted ‘The Scream’.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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