1783 laki a volcano in iceland begins an eight month eruption w 06 08
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1783 243 years ago Selected Events June 8 3 sources

Laki, a volcanic fissure in Iceland (pictured), began an eight-month eruption, triggering a major famine and causing widespread fluoride poisoning.

On June 8, in the year 1783, Laki, a volcanic fissure in Iceland (pictured), began an eight-month eruption, triggering a major famine and causing widespread fluoride poisoning. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of June 8, one of 300 recorded events on this date across all of history.

Laki or Lakagígar is a volcanic fissure in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, not far from the volcanic fissure of Eldgjá and the small village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The fissure is properly referred to as Lakagígar, while Laki is a mountain that the fissure bisects. Lakagígar is part of a volcanic system centered on the volcano Grímsvötn and including the volcano Þórðarhyrna. It lies between the glaciers of Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull, in an area of fissures that run in a southwest to northeast direction.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on June 8, 1783 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 3 Wikipedia articles.
  • The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 25 May 2026.

On This Date in History 300

Type Year Date Event
Notable Deaths 2024 Jun 8 Ramoji Rao, Indian businessman, media proprietor and film producer (born 1936)
Notable Deaths 2024 Jun 8 Chet Walker, American basketball player (born 1940)
Historical Events 2023 Jun 8 Former US President Donald Trump is indicted on federal charges of misusing classified information
Notable Deaths 2023 Jun 8 Pat Robertson, American televangelist (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2022 Jun 8 Paula Rego, Portuguese-British visual artist (born 1935)
Notable Deaths 2019 Jun 8 Andre Matos, Brazilian heavy metal musician (born 1971)
Notable Deaths 2018 Jun 8 Anthony Bourdain, American chef and travel documentarian (born 1956)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jun 8 Chea Sim, Cambodian commander and politician (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 8 Alexander Imich, Polish-American chemist, parapsychologist, and academic (born 1903)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jun 8 Yoshihito, Prince Katsura of Japan (born 1948)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 8 Paul Cellucci, American soldier and politician, 69th Governor of Massachusetts (born 1948)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 8 Yoram Kaniuk, Israeli painter, journalist, and critic (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jun 8 Taufiq Kiemas, Indonesian politician, 5th First Spouse of Indonesia (born 1942)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jun 8 Charles E
Notable Deaths 2012 Jun 8 Ghassan Tueni, Lebanese journalist, academic, and politician (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2010 Jun 8 Denise Narcisse-Mair, Canadian musician (born 1940)
Notable Deaths 2009 Jun 8 Omar Bongo, Gabonese captain and politician, President of Gabon (born 1935)
Selected Events 2009 Jun 8 Two American journalists, having been arrested for illegal entry into North Korea, were sentenced to twelve years hard l
Historical Events 2008 Jun 8 7 people are killed and 11 more are injured in a massacre in Akihabara
Selected Events 2008 Jun 8 A Japanese man drove a truck into a crowd of pedestrians in Akihabara, Tokyo, and proceeded to stab at least 12 people,
Selected Events 2008 Jun 8 Seven people were killed and 10 others were injured in vehicle and knife attack in Tokyo, Japan
Historical Events 2007 Jun 8 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is hit by the State's worst storms and flooding in 30 years resulting in the deat
Historical Events 2007 Jun 8 Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-117 carrying two truss segments and solar arrays to the International Space St
Selected Events 2007 Jun 8 A major storm caused the bulk carrier Pasha Bulker to run aground in New South Wales, Australia
Notable Deaths 2006 Jun 8 Jaxon, American illustrator and publisher, co-founded Rip Off Press (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2006 Jun 8 Matta El Meskeen, Egyptian monk, theologian, and author (born 1919)
Historical Events 2004 Jun 8 The first Venus Transit in well over a century takes place, the previous one being in 1882
Notable Births 2004 Jun 8 Francesca Capaldi, American actress
Notable Deaths 2004 Jun 8 Charles Hyder, American astrophysicist and academic (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2004 Jun 8 Mack Jones, American baseball player (born 1938)
Historical Events 2001 Jun 8 Mamoru Takuma kills eight and injures 15 in a mass stabbing at an elementary school in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan
Notable Deaths 2001 Jun 8 Alex de Renzy, American director and producer (born 1935)
Notable Deaths 2000 Jun 8 Frédéric Dard, French author and screenwriter (born 1921)
Notable Deaths 1998 Jun 8 Sani Abacha, Nigerian general and politician, 10th President of Nigeria (born 1943)
Notable Deaths 1998 Jun 8 Maria Reiche, German mathematician and archaeologist (born 1903)
Notable Births 1997 Jun 8 Jeļena Ostapenko, Latvian tennis player
Notable Deaths 1997 Jun 8 George Turner, Australian author and critic (born 1916)
Notable Deaths 1997 Jun 8 Karen Wetterhahn, American chemist and academic (born 1948)
Historical Events 1995 Jun 8 Downed U
Notable Births 1995 Jun 8 Ferland Mendy, French footballer
Notable Deaths 1995 Jun 8 Juan Carlos Onganía, Argentine general and politician, 35th President of Argentina (born 1914)
Notable Births 1994 Jun 8 Liv Morgan, American professional wrestler
Historical Events 1992 Jun 8 The first World Oceans Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Historical Events 1992 Jun 8 GP Express Airlines Flight 861 crashes on approach to Anniston Regional Airport in Anniston, Alabama, killing three
Notable Births 1989 Jun 8 Timea Bacsinszky, Swiss tennis player
Historical Events 1987 Jun 8 New Zealand's Labour government establishes a national nuclear-free zone under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarm
Notable Deaths 1987 Jun 8 Alexander Iolas, Egyptian-American art collector (born 1907)
Notable Births 1986 Jun 8 Keith Gill, American financial analyst and investor
Historical Events 1984 Jun 8 Homosexuality is decriminalized in the Australian state of New South Wales
Notable Births 1984 Jun 8 Javier Mascherano, Argentinian footballer and manager

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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