Krakatoa had been restless for months before the catastrophe that would make it famous worldwide. The volcanic island in Indonesia's Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra first showed signs of activity on May 20, 1883, when ash clouds rose 6 miles high and explosions could be heard 100 miles away in Batavia (Jakarta). Local residents and passing ships treated the activity as entertainment, with excursion boats carrying tourists to witness the spectacle. For three months, the volcano continued its warning displays, but few understood they were watching the buildup to one of history's most powerful eruptions.

August 27th brought four massive explosions that destroyed two-thirds of the island. The third explosion at 10:02 AM remains the loudest sound in recorded history, heard 3,000 miles away in Australia and 4,800 miles away near Mauritius. The blast had the force of 200 megatons of TNT - approximately 10,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Ash was propelled 50 miles into the atmosphere, and the pressure wave from the explosion circled the globe three and a half times, and even registered on barographs worldwide for five days.

The explosions triggered tsunamis up to 120 feet high that devastated coastal towns across Java and Sumatra. At least 36,000 people died, with most casualties caused by the waves rather than the volcanic eruption itself. 165 villages and towns were destroyed and 132 were seriously damaged. The "Burning Ashes of Ketimbang" killed approximately 1,000 people in Sumatra when hot ash rained down around noon, while pyroclastic flows raced across the sea at 62 miles per hour.

Krakatoa's effects were felt globally for years. Fine volcanic dust drifted around Earth, creating spectacular sunsets and forming an atmospheric veil that lowered global temperatures by several degrees. The dust didn't dissipate until 1888 - five years later. Human skeletons on rafts of pumice washed up on the east coast of Africa up to a year after the eruption. The explosion marked the first major natural disaster of the telegraph age, making it the first scientifically well-documented volcanic eruption and establishing it as one of the most studied catastrophes in history.

Click below to listen to the sound Krakatoa made:
https://youtu.be/v2pPRiUUnOg?si=AMdopm8msVEYEcKq

On August 27, 1918 Sailors at Commonwealth Pier in Boston began reporting to sick bay with flu symptoms, marking the arrival of the pandemic's deadly second wave in America. The disease quickly spread through the Receiving Ship barracks, where thousands of naval recruits were stationed before deployment to World War I battlefields. Navy physician J.J. Keegan at nearby Chelsea Naval Hospital watched in alarm as healthy young men - the "strapping recruits in the prime of life" - began falling seriously ill with a flu unlike anything doctors had seen before.

By August 30, over 60 sailors were sick, and the disease was spreading beyond military installations into Boston's civilian population. Three civilians died in early September, confirming officials' fears that the epidemic had moved into the general population. A "Win The War for Freedom" parade featuring 4,000 men including 1,000 sailors marched through Boston's streets, creating the perfect conditions for mass transmission. Doctor John Hancock of the Massachusetts Department of Health warned that "unless precautions are taken the disease will spread to the civilian population."

Boston officials implemented emergency measures as cases soared. Schools, theaters, and churches were closed on September 25th, and all public gatherings were banned. The city required influenza to become a reportable disease and mandated that all cases be isolated at home or in city hospitals. Retail stores were ordered to stagger opening hours to prevent crowding on public transportation. Red Cross workers manufactured thousands of masks, and officials encouraged proper hygiene while discouraging spitting in public.

By the end of 1918, over 4,000 Bostonians had died from influenza, compared to just 51 deaths the year before. When World War I ended in November, crowds gathered to celebrate the armistice, causing an immediate spike in flu cases. Christmas celebrations triggered another surge. Boston's experience became a template for understanding how the 1918 pandemic - which ultimately killed 675,000 Americans - spread through urban populations and how public health measures could help control infectious disease outbreaks

The First Novel🇯🇵
The first novel ever written is considered to be "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu in Japan around 1000 AD. This 11th-century work about court life in Heian Japan predates what most people consider the first novels by several centuries, making it a landmark in world literature. The 1,100-page epic features complex psychological development and 54 chapters, establishing narrative techniques still used today.

A Silent Symphony🎶
Beethoven continued composing music even after becoming completely deaf. He composed some of his greatest works, including his 9th Symphony, while unable to hear them - he could feel vibrations through the piano and relied on his deep understanding of musical theory. Beethoven began losing hearing at age 28, was completely deaf by 45, yet composed his most celebrated pieces during his final silent decade.

Click below to listen to Beethovens famous 9th Symphony:

The Women’s Instrument🎸
The guitar was considered a women's instrument until Andrés Segovia popularized it for men in the early 20th century. Before Segovia's classical guitar performances gained respect, the guitar was deemed too delicate and intimate for serious male musicians, who preferred more "masculine" instruments like violin, piano, or brass. Segovia's concert hall performances transformed guitar from parlor entertainment into serious classical music.

Translation of Agatha Christie📝
Agatha Christie is the most-translated individual author in the world. Her detective novels have been translated into more languages than any other individual writer in history, with only the Bible and Shakespeare's works being translated more overall. Christie's works appear in over 100 languages, with Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries selling over 2 billion copies worldwide, making her the best-selling novelist of all time.