"In April of 1815, Mount Tambora exploded in a powerful eruption that killed tens of thousands of people on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. The following year

"In April of 1815, Mount Tambora exploded in a powerful eruption that killed tens of thousands of people on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa. The following year became known as the “year without a summer” when unusually cold, wet conditions swept across Europe and North America." Yep. People do not realize how uncertain the world was back then. You may get a year of lack of food without even knowing why. Today we know much more, and that may overwhelm us. But not knowing and not be able to do anything is worse.