August 24 is celebrated around the world Vesuvius Daypaying tribute to the memory.

Vesuvius day in history

It was on this day in AD 79 that one of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions took place, burying 3,360 people under a layer of ash and pumice. As a result of this natural disaster, the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia were completely destroyed.

According to Seneca the Younger, the ancient Roman philosopher, the first manifestations of activity of Vesuvius took place as early as 62 BC. e., when Pompeii was partially destroyed by an earthquake, and in 64, when Naples was destroyed. However, the inhabitants of these cities ignored the “warnings” of the volcano and continued their carefree lives. As Pliny the Younger, an eyewitness to those events, described, the eruption lasted about 18 hours, during which Pompeii was covered with a layer of ash and lava about 6 meters thick, and Herculaneum was buried under a 20-meter layer of volcanic rock.

This was not the only eruption of Vesuvius. It woke up for the second time in 1631, taking the lives of 3,500 people, and at the height of the Second World War in 1944, although the number of victims was minimal then – 27 people. Since then, the volcano is in a relatively calm state.

How is this day celebrated?

You can celebrate this day by watching documentaries about Vesuvius, reading interesting and useful literature about the eruption or visiting the volcano in person, which has acquired the status of a national park since 1995.