A  lithograph of 1883 eruption of Krakatoa.

One of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history occurred on Krakatoa (also called Krakatau), a small, uninhabited volcanic island east of Sumatra and west of Java, on August 27,
1883. Heard 3,000 miles away, the explosions threw five cubic
miles of earth 50 miles into the air, created 120-foot tsunamis
and killed 36,000 people.

Illustration of volcanic island of Krakatoa before it blew. 

ROSS SIMPSON

Under the Indian Ocean, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake sent 500-mph
waves across the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal on this day in
2004. The tsunami killed more than 200,000 people in a dozen
countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Sumatra, Thailand and
India.

On this day in 1996, six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey
was found beaten and strangled to death in the basement of her
family’s home in Boulder, CO. It was reported in September 2016
that the investigation into JonBenét’s death continues to be an
active homicide case, per Boulder Police Chief Greg Testa.

Patsy Ramsey and her husband John Ramsey, parents of JonBenet.

John Mark Karr, 41, was being charged by police for child porn in
California when out of nowhere, he confessed to killing JonBenet,
but his DNA didn’t match the DNA found on JonBenet Ramsey,
and he wasn’t charged with her death.

ROSS SIMPSON

Under the Indian Ocean, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake sent 500-mph
waves across the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal on this day in
2004. The tsunami killed at least 283,000 people in a dozen
countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Sumatra, Thailand
and India.

Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled to death in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder,
CO on this day in 1996.

On this day in 1941, Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.

Tennessee Williams’ play "The Glass Menagerie"
was first performed publicly, at the Civic Theatre
in Chicago, IL. on this day in 1944.

Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972)

Truman served as the 33rd President of the United States (1945–1953),
taking the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

On December 5, 1972, Truman was admitted to Kansas City’s Research
Hospital and Medical Center with lung congestion from pneumonia. He
developed multiple organ failure and died at 7:50 am on December 26
at the age of 88.

Although one paper decided early that Dewey won, Truman was victorious, November 4, 1948.

ROSS SIMPSON