@worldsbiggestmoments: The day a mountain exploded... On May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m., the sky over Washington State turned black. In a matter of seconds, a mountain that had slept for 123 years exploded with a force equivalent to 500 atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima. The blast tore off the summit of Mount St. Helens. A dome more than 400 meters high vanished. The temperature of lava and ash exceeded 700°C. Within minutes, around 600 square kilometers of forest were completely destroyed. A column of ash rose 24 kilometers into the sky and was visible hundreds of kilometers away. The speed of the superheated cloud reached up to 1,100 km/h. Fifty-seven people were killed - geologists, photographers, and local residents. But their images and recordings survived, remaining as a living reminder that nature does not tolerate human arrogance. This was not just a disaster. It was a moment when the Earth inhaled and released its fury - and humanity stood still in awe and terror. Fragment #046 of 1000. We are documenting 1000 of the most important moments in history. Follow to witness history - one fragment at a time #worldhistory #mountsthelens #historic #historicmoment

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Tuesday 17 February 2026 00:44:52 GMT