This Day in History: March 10th-March 14th
April 10, 1815 - Eruption of the Mount Tambora Volcano
The Mt. Tambora eruption, occurring on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, was the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history, with a 7 on the volcanic explosivity index. The explosion was heard from 2,000 kilometers away, and poured volcanic ash as far away as 4,300 meters. The eruption killed an estimated 71,000 people, both from the eruption itself, and from the destruction of farming areas by ash leading to mass starvation. Lastly, the eruption blasted up to 120 megatons of Sulfur into the air, disrupting climate conditions around the world - so much so that 1816 was named, “The year without Summer” due to the sulfur blocking the Sun.
April 11, 1963 - Pope John XXIII Issues the Papal Encyclical, Panem In Terris
“Panem In Terris” (from Latin, “Peace on Earth”) was a Papal Encyclical essentially acted as a way for the Papacy to declare its support for things such as human rights and international cooperation. John XXIII was likely driven to write the piece after his experiences attempting to mediate the splitting of the city of Berlin (1960) and the Cuban missile crisis (1962), and was unique in that it was an encyclical (circulating letter) sent to all Christians instead of just Catholics.
April 12, 1861 - Start of the Battle of Fort Sumter and the American Civil War
The battle of Fort Sumter began when South Carolina, following its declaration of succession, demanded that Union troops leave the fort, as S.C. considered it part of its territory. The Union refused, and South Carolina began shelling the fortress, capturing it the next day and beginning the Civil War.
April 13, 1953 - Beginning of Project MKUltra
“MKUltra” was the name given to one of the most controversial projects undertaken by the CIA - an investigation into whether, through drugging, sensory deprivation, and torture, a subject could be, “mind controlled” into making confessions. The idea of the CIA studying mind control is disturbing enough, but the test subjects of MKUltra were often uninformed they were being tested on, such as when LSD was administered to unwitting members of the general public for observation of the results. The project was terminated in 1973.
April 14, 966 - Mieszko I of Poland Converts to Christianity
In the year 966, Poland was and had long been a pagan region of Eastern Europe, though its unification under a single ruler had been relatively recent, Mieszko I being just the second crowned king. As such, in order to secure his kingdom, Mieszko I converted to Christianity to better make alliances with his Christian neighbors. After his conversion, the rest of Poland quickly converted as well, and the nation remains about 87% Catholic to this day.
