A volcano erupted on August 27, 1883 on the tiny Indonesian island of Krakatoa in the South Pacific. The eruption was so powerful that it caused a tidal wave, or huge wall of water, as tall as a 9-story building. The wave wiped out 163 villages on Krakatoa, killing 36,380 people.
It even washed ashore a Dutch warship anchored in the harbor of Djakarta, on the nearby island of Java, with so much force that the ship was left stranded half a mile from the water, 30 feet above sea level.
This tidal wave went halfway around the world to South Africa in just two hours.
Ash from the volcano flew 50 miles up into the air and blew around the world, causing beautiful red sunsets for an entire year!
