August 24, 79 AD: Everyday Life Was Interrupted When the Mountain Blew Up

It was 1,948 years ago today, on August 24, 79 AD, that Mt. Vesuvius erupted , burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Thousands of people died that day, burned, blasted, or buried under volcanic ash and rock or collapsing buildings. The event was unique in that it was so sudden, affected relatively large cities, and left evidence that would be uncovered nearly two millennia later.…