The Year Without a Summer: When 1816 Became the Apocalypse

In April 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted in the most powerful volcanic explosion in recorded history. The blast was heard 1,200 miles away and killed 71,000 people immediately. But the real catastrophe came the following year when volcanic ash in the atmosphere blocked out the sun across the Northern Hemisphere, causing 1816 to become "The Year Without a Summer" - a year of global climate chaos, crop failures, famine, and snow in July.

The weather went completely insane. In June 1816, snow fell across New England and Quebec, killing crops. Frost struck every single month of the year in the northeastern United States. European crops failed across the continent, triggering the worst famine of the 19th century. Temperatures dropped 5-10 degrees Fahrenhei ...