Sorry but nobody won this weeks quiz. The question was: What was the loudest noise in recorded history? The answer is the eruption of  the volcano Krakatau in 1883. The earliest mention of the island in the Western world was on a map by Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer, who labelled the island “Pulo Carcata.” (“Pulo” is a form of pulau, the Indonesian word for “island”.) There are two generally accepted spellings, Krakatoa and Krakatau. While Krakatoa is more common in the English-speaking world, Krakatau (or Krakatao in an older Portuguese based spelling) tends to be favored by Indonesians. The origin of the spelling Krakatoa is unclear, but may have been the result of a typographical error made in a British source reporting on the massive eruption of 1883.

When the volcano exploded it was heard 3000 miles away and is supposed to be the loudest sound ever heard by human ears. It obliterated the volcano, destroyed the island, and launched tusnamis over 100 feet high. Over 36,000 people died as a result of the explosion.

Next week the quiz question will given on Tuesday.