Vesuvius Day: First Recorded Volcanic Eruption In History

Every year, Aug. 24 is observed as Vesuvius Day, in remembrance of Mt. Vesuvius, an Italian volcano that erupted on the same date in A.D. 79, killing thousands in Pompeii, Stabiae, and Herculaneum in present-day Italy. The aftermath of the eruption wiped out towns from the face of Earth, until their ruins were discovered March 23, 1748.

The volcano had erupted before A.D. 79 as well, as was discovered by scientists who studied the volcano. But the most famous and catastrophic one was on this day twenty and a half centuries ago. Pompeii was buried under 10 feet of ash, while Herculaneum, which was hit by the first wave of ashes, was buried under 75 inches of ash. Both the cities were highly prosperous at the time.

The eruption was the first one of its kind in history to be documented. Pliny the Younger, who described the event in letters to a historian, was stationed 18 miles away in Misenum. From the vantage point, he felt earthquakes prior to the eruption, the eruption itself, as well as the aftereffects. His uncle, Pliny the Elder, was in charge of the warships in the area. He died in the incident after he turned his fleet to rescue residents from the affected areas.

Mt. Vesuvius was dormant for a few centuries before it erupted in A.D. 79. Prior to the event there were earthquakes in the area for years. One such earthquake in A.D. 62, which left Pompeii in crumbles. The area was still recovering from the earthquake when the eruption occurred.

Following the eruption, wells and springs dried up. The earth cracked, and the sea became turbulent. Records say animals were very restless, and predicted that something was going to happen. Pliny described the eruption as a pine tree in the sky, which spewed noxious fumes, ash, smoke, mud, stones, and flames.

After that day, it continued to erupt once every century till about the year 1037, after which the volcano remained dormant for about 600 years. The area, being a very fertile land, flourished during that time.

The volcano began erupting again Dec. 16, 1631. The event left about 4,000 people dead and several thousands without a home to return to. Soon, rebuilding efforts followed, but it wasn’t until March 23, 1748, that the city of Pompeii was discovered, under layers of ash from eruptions. Today, the population around the volcano is about 3 million.

Observing the day involves commemorating and remembering the day that wiped out entire cities. It’s acknowledging the first recorded volcanic eruption in history.

You can either watch a detailed documentary on the volcano, or read up more about it. There are numerous animated recreated sequences of the events that happened that day as well. Visiting the site is the best way to see and understand what happened in the city and the volcano almost two thousand years ago. Photos of preserved artefacts from the site are also available online if you cannot make it there in person.

Mount Vesuvius was made a national park in 1995, which means you can directly visit the mountain as well. The volcano is being carefully monitored by Italian authorities, which makes it pretty safe for a visit. The volcano is said to be truly beautiful, even the inside part of crater is filled with shrubs and various plants.