Today in History

February 20, 1943

A Volcano is Born

On February 20, 1943, Dionisio Pulido, a farmer in the Mexican state of Michoacán, was working in his cornfield along with his wife and son. From the center of the field, a hissing noise began. Suddenly a plume of smoke and ash began spewing from the ground from a fissure that opened. Pulido and his family were witnessing the birth of Volcán de Parícutin, a volcano. The farmer and his family fled the area, but the town of Parícutin was soon covered in ash.

Twelve months later, the volcano was a thousand feet tall. For the next eight years, the eruptions continued. Lava poured out of the volcano, scorching more than 14 square miles of surrounding land. In 1952 the eruptions ended and Parícutin went quiet, attaining a height of 1,275 feet. Scientist believe it to be a "mongenetic" volcano, meaning it will most likely never erupt again.