Mt. Vesuvius and the Destruction of Pompeii, A.D. 79 (Natural Disasters)

One peaceful August day in AD 79, the people of Pompeii were going about their business - baking bread, eating lunch, lounging in the afternoon heat. Suddenly there was a great explosion, and tons of rock, ash, and gas were spewed into the air. Mount Vesuvius was erupting! In just 19 hours, most of the inhabitants were dead, and a layer of ash had buried the city. This is the story of what happened to the advanced city of Pompeii on that fateful day - and how we've learned about its people and culture thousands of years later by digging through the deadly ash.