In 1883, the Indonesian volcanic island of Krakatoa erupted with the estimated equivalency of 200 megatons of TNT or more than 10,000 times the power of the “Little Boy” atomic bomb. The volcanic event was one of the largest eruptions in modern recorded history.

More Amazing Krakatoa Factoids

• 2/3 of the entire Krakatoa island exploded & slumped into the sea

• The primary Krakatoa explosion was heard almost 3,000 miles away

• The volcanic event created tsunamis of 120-150 ft. tall

• Sadly 36,000+ people perished as a direct result from the eruption

• Within 2 weeks, volcanic ash encircled the globe lasting 2-3 years

“The Scream” by Edvard Munch

• In recent years, experts have hypothesized that the dramatic sunset in Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's famous painting "The Scream" was inspired by the effects of Krakatoa ash encircling the globe. In a diary entry attributed to his 1883-1884 time frame, Munch wrote:

“I was walking along the road with two friends–the sun was setting–suddenly the sky turned blood red–I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence–there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city–my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety–and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”

1883 Incredibly Coincidental Side Note

While all the Krakatoa volcanic destruction & Norwegian dread was going on in 1883, Heyliger de Windt filed a patent the same year for a fun light-hearted parlor bean bag tossing game he called “Parlor Quoits”. It would become the basis for the modern day cornhole game we all play today.