5 Worst Years in Human History

The darkest chapters of our past

A photograph of Joseph Stalin by an unknown photographer, 1943 (Wikimedia Commons)

The history of the human race is a vast saga of fascinating stories. There have been many triumphs over the years, but the bad moments tend to stand out the most. Indeed, we’re much more interested in wars and revolutions than peace and continuity. Though there will always be debates about which year was the absolute worst, it’s impossible to deny that these five were nothing short of horrific.

1. 536

A photograph of a dark skyline in Reykjavík, Iceland, by Helgi Halldórsson, 2007 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Volcanic Winter of 536 was a creepy and unusual event. Historians and scientists still don’t know exactly what happened, but what we do know is terrifying.

Due to a volcanic eruption that took place in Iceland, a haze formed in the earth’s atmosphere. This weakened the sun’s radiation and led to colder temperatures and darker days in the Northern Hemisphere. In addition to agricultural issues and famine, disease spread throughout Europe and Asia.

Indeed, multiple sources have talked about the impact of this phenomenon, including the Greek historian Procopius:

“… the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this…