On This Day
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Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii begins an eruption that lasts 300 days

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. Mauna Loa is Earth's largest active volcano by both mass and volume.

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. Mauna Loa is Earth's largest active volcano by both mass and volume. It was historically considered to be the largest volcano on Earth until the submarine mountain Tamu Massif was discovered to be larger. Mauna Loa is a shield volcano with relatively gentle slopes, and a volume estimated at 18,000 cubic miles (75,000 km3), although its peak is about 125 feet (38 m) lower than that of its neighbor, Mauna Kea. Lava eruptions from Mauna Loa are silica-poor and very fluid, and tend to be non-explosive.

Mauna Loa has likely been erupting for at least 700,000 years, and may have emerged above sea level about 400,000 years ago. Some dated rocks are 470,000 years old.

Historical Significance

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.

Events Before

  1. Inventor Cyrus McCormick (48) weds Nancy Fowler

    Inventor Cyrus McCormick (48) weds Nancy Fowler

  2. US President Millard Fillmore (58) weds Caroline Carmichael (43) in Albany, New York

    US President Millard Fillmore (58) weds Caroline Carmichael (43) in Albany, New York

  3. First vision of the Virgin Mary to 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes, France

    The Song of Bernadette (German: Das Lied von Bernadette) is a 1941 novel that tells the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who, from February to July 1858 reported eighteen visions of the Blessed…

  4. Big Ben, a 13.76-tonne bell, is recast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry

    Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.

  5. Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand" accepting Illinois Republican Party's nomination for

    Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand" accepting Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the Senate

Events After

  1. Slavery is abolished in the Dutch East Indies for areas under direct rule

    The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies, was a Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which declared independence on 17 August 1945.

  2. Willie Park Sr. marries Susanna Law in Inveresk, Scotland

    Willie Park Sr. marries Susanna Law in Inveresk, Scotland

  3. Start of the Pony Express, mail is delivered by horse and rider relay teams between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento,

    Start of the Pony Express, mail is delivered by horse and rider relay teams between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California

  4. First Pony Express rider reaches Sacramento, California

    The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California.

  5. Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight a brutal 2-hour, 27-minute draw that ends only after polic

    Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight a brutal 2-hour, 27-minute draw that ends only after police stop the fight near Farnborough in England, acknowledged as the first world title bout

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Tim Keefe, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1857-01-01.

City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line

City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line

National debt of Britain and Ireland is £765,126,582

National debt of Britain and Ireland is £765,126,582

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 23, 1859?
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. Mauna Loa is Earth's largest active volcano by both mass and volume.
Why is Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii begins an eruption that lasts 300 days significant?
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.

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January 23 in HistoryYear 1859