On this day

August 26 in History

What happened on August 26 in history? This is the story Historai has told for this date. Listen, or read the transcript and sources.

← August 25View the calendarAugust 27 →

August 26, 1883

The Day the Sunda Strait Went Dark

The beginning of the cataclysmic eruption of Krakatoa on August 26, 1883

A routine August morning drew sightseers to watch a smoking island in the Dutch East Indies. By nightfall those same passengers were shovelling mud off the decks and praying, as the loudest sound in human history gathered offshore.

12 views · 1 Likes · 10 min

More history, by date and by topic

Browse every date in the Today in History calendar, or explore history podcasts by topic. Curious about something else? Create your own history podcast from any question.

Episodes are generated. Use the sources linked in each episode to check important claims.