MountVesuvius

On #ThisDayInHistory in 79 AD, after centuries of dormancy, Mount Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy, devastating the prosperous Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killing thousands. The cities, buried under a thick layer of volcanic material and mud, were never rebuilt.

In the time of the early Roman Empire, 20,000 people lived in Pompeii and 5,000 people in Herculaneum. During the eruption, many occupants attempted to flee but some 2,000 people stayed holed up in cellars hoping to wait out the eruption. The people who remained were killed the next morning when a cloud of toxic gas poured into the city. After the eruption, Pompeii was buried under 14 to 17 feet of ash and pumice. Herculaneum was buried under more than 60 feet of mud and volcanic material. In the 18th century, the two cities were rediscovered and excavated, providing an unprecedented archaeological record of the everyday life of an ancient civilization.

Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, destroying several cities in the Roman Empire. Today, it is still considered an active volcano.