ian ▁arch ip el ago . ▁ ▁Tamb ora ' s ▁ 1 8 1 5 ▁er u ption ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁recorded ▁human ▁history ▁and ▁the ▁largest ▁of ▁the ▁Hol oc ene ▁( 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁to ▁present ). ▁The ▁mag ma ▁chamber ▁under ▁Tamb ora ▁had ▁been ▁dra ined ▁by ▁pre - 1 8 1 5 ▁er u ptions ▁and ▁under w ent ▁several ▁centuries ▁of ▁d orm ancy ▁as ▁it ▁re filled . ▁Vol can ic ▁activity ▁reached ▁a ▁peak ▁that ▁year , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁the ▁er u ption . ▁The ▁explos ion ▁was ▁heard ▁on ▁Sum atra ▁island , ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁away . ▁He avy ▁vol can ic ▁ash ▁ra ins ▁were ▁observed ▁as ▁far ▁away ▁as ▁Bor neo , ▁Sul aw esi , ▁Java ▁and ▁Mal u ku ▁islands , ▁and ▁the ▁maximum ▁elev ation ▁of ▁Tamb ora ▁was ▁reduced ▁from ▁about ▁ ▁to ▁. ▁Although ▁estimates ▁vary , ▁the ▁death ▁to ll ▁was ▁at ▁least ▁ 7 1 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁The ▁er u ption ▁caused ▁global ▁climate ▁anom al ies ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁years , ▁while ▁ 1 8 1 6 ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" year ▁without ▁a ▁summer " ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁impact ▁on ▁North ▁American ▁and ▁European ▁weather . ▁In ▁the ▁Northern ▁Hem is phere , ▁cro ps ▁failed ▁and ▁liv est ock ▁died , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁worst ▁fam ine ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁ ▁During ▁a ▁ 2 0