The Worst Year to Be Alive: 536 AD

Which year did medieval scholar Michael McCormick identify as the worst year to be alive?

• 1942

• 1347

• 536

• 2020

What phenomenon covered Europe, the Middle East, and Asia in 536 AD?

• A hurricane

• A sandstorm

• A thick fog

• A solar eclipse

Which regions were primarily affected by the climatic changes in 536?

• Europe, the Middle East, and Asia

• North America and South America

• Australia and Antarctica

• Africa and the Arctic

According to historical accounts, what unusual weather event occurred in the winter of 536?

• Yellow dust falling like snow

• Continuous rain

• Extreme heat

• Hailstorms

What was one of the major consequences of the climatic changes in 536?

• Population boom

• Widespread famine

• Technological advancement

• Economic prosperity

What did researchers in the 1990s and 2000s discover as the cause of the climatic changes in 536?

• A meteor impact

• A solar flare

• A volcanic eruption

• A tsunami

Where did the volcanic eruption that caused the climatic changes in 536 occur?

• Italy

• Japan

• Hawaii

• Iceland

How did the volcanic eruption in 536 affect global temperatures?

• Dropped by over 30 degrees

• Increased by 10 degrees

• Increased by 5 degrees

• Remained the same

What was the period following the eruptions in 536 known as?

• The Dark Ages

• The Medieval Warm Period

• The Ice Age

• The late antique little ice age

What did the volcanic eruptions in 540 and 547 contribute to?

• The late antique little ice age

• The Age of Enlightenment

• The Renaissance

• The Industrial Revolution