The horrific Indonesian tsunami of December 2004 was not the first time that region has seen such destruction. On August 27 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa in the Sunda Straits literally exploded. The resulting tsunami waves were the highest ever witnessed, up to 40 meters tall. Over 36,000 people were killed (the largest death toll ever from a volcanic eruption) and 165 towns and villages were destroyed. The sound of the explosion was the loudest in human history, heard over 1/12 of th ...[Read Story ]