09/22/2025
The loudest sound in history. On August 27, 1883, the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia erupted with an unimaginable force. The explosion was so powerful it produced the loudest sound ever recorded, heard over 3,000 miles away. Sailors nearly 40 miles from the blast suffered ruptured eardrums, and barographs worldwide captured the pressure shockwaves as they circled the globe multiple times.
The eruption annihilated most of the island, triggering tsunamis over 100 feet high that swept away coastal towns and villages. Roughly 36,000 people lost their lives, the majority to the devastating waves that reached as far as South Africa. Ash clouds darkened skies worldwide, altering weather patterns and causing global temperatures to drop. For years, sunsets glowed in surreal shades of red, while some observers reported the moon appearing blue or green.
Though Krakatoa itself was obliterated, the Earth would not remain quiet. In 1927, a new island began to emerge from the sea—Anak Krakatau, the “Child of Krakatoa.” Still active today, it serves as a living reminder of nature’s fury. The 1883 eruption remains one of history’s deadliest and most extraordinary natural events, reshaping global climate and human memory alike.