Year 536 Was the Worst Year to Be Alive - What Happened?

Summary

The year 536 is considered the worst year to be alive due to a series of catastrophic events. A massive volcanic eruption led to a drop in global temperatures, causing crop failures and widespread famine. The darkness that enveloped the Earth for 18 months, as described by historians like Procopius and Michael the Syrian, was followed by the Justinian Plague, which killed an estimated 50 million people. The climate disruptions, including unusual weather patterns in China and Iceland, further exacerbated the situation, leading to the 'Late Antique Little Ice Age.' The video explores these events and their profound impact on human history.

Takeaways

• 🌑 The year 536 is considered by scientists and historians as the worst year to be alive due to its significant and lasting impact on the planet.
• 📜 Byzantine historian Procopius documented the sun's lack of brightness during 536, describing it as similar to an eclipse, which led to prolonged darkness.
• 🌌 A massive volcanic eruption is believed to have contributed to the global dimming of the sun, affecting weather conditions and causing widespread crop failure and famine.
• 🌡️ The lack of sunlight led to a drop in global temperatures, which lasted for decades and exacerbated the effects of the volcanic ash on agriculture.
• 🦠 The year 536 was also marked by the outbreak of the Plague of Justinian, which swept through populations and significantly reduced the population of the Byzantine Empire.
• 🌋 Climate records from China indicate unusual weather events like dust rain and frost in summer, which further disrupted agriculture and led to famine.
• ❄️ Ice core samples from Iceland and Greenland confirm a major volcanic event around 536, which initiated the 'Late Antique Little Ice Age', causing a decade of cooler temperatures.
• 🌋 Subsequent volcanic eruptions in 540 and 547 in Iceland further darkened the skies, contributing to the 'Dark Ages' and impacting global climate and society.
• 🏛️ The Byzantine Empire, under Emperor Justinian, faced constant uprisings and instability, which, combined with disease and famine, led to a significant loss of population.
• 🌾 The Moche civilization in Peru was severely affected by the weather conditions of the 6th century, including an El Niño event that devastated their agricultural economy.
• 🔬 Researchers, including Harvard historian Michael McCormick, used interdisciplinary methods to analyze climate and historical data, concluding the year 536 as a turning point for global catastrophe.

Q & A

What was the main reason that the year 536 is considered the worst year to be alive?

The year 536 is considered the worst year to be alive due to a combination of a massive volcanic eruption that caused a persistent ash cloud, blocking sunlight and leading to global cooling, crop failure, widespread famine, and the spread of diseases like the Plague of Justinian.

What did Procopius, the Byzantine historian, observe about the sun in the year 536?

Procopius observed that the sun gave forth light without brightness during the year 536, comparing it to the sun during an eclipse, with beams that were not clear and did not shed the usual light.

How did the lack of sunlight affect the crops and the climate during the year 536?

The lack of sunlight led to a significant drop in temperature, which in turn caused crop failure and sparked a widespread famine. The reduced sunlight also affected the ripening of fruits and the taste of wine.

What was the impact of the volcanic eruption on global weather conditions in 536?

The volcanic eruption resulted in an ash cloud that darkened the sky for at least a year, causing a drop in global temperatures and leading to a period known as the 'Late Antique Little Ice Age,' which lasted for a decade and caused widespread crop failure and famine.

What was the 'Plague of Justinian' and how did it affect the population?

The 'Plague of Justinian' was a pandemic that swept through the Byzantine Empire, causing symptoms such as sores, leg swelling, and buboes that burst and released pus. It is estimated that around 50 million people died from the plague.

How did the climate conditions in China during 536 contribute to the suffering of the population?

In China, the climate conditions during 536 included unusual weather events like raining dust and summer-winter weather with frost in mid-summer and snow in August. These conditions destroyed crops and led to a deadly famine that lasted for two years, killing a large portion of the population.

What evidence did researchers find in the ice sheets of Iceland and Greenland that pointed to a major volcanic event around 536?

Researchers discovered evidence of a major volcanic event in the ice sheets of Iceland and Greenland through the analysis of volcanic fragments in ice core samples, which confirmed the volcanic eruption that caused the global climate disruptions around the year 536.

What was the role of El Niño in the decline of the Moche civilization in Peru around the year 536?

An unusually strong El Niño weather system around the year 536 caused waters to warm, which decimated the fish supply, and heavy flooding, which ruined the Moche's advanced irrigation systems. This led to a decline in their agricultural capabilities and a significant impact on their economy.

How did the events of the year 536 affect the Byzantine Empire and its attempts to regain its former glory?

The events of 536, including disease and famine, weakened the Byzantine Empire significantly. The empire lost a large portion of its population and never fully recovered from the setbacks, hindering its attempts to regain its former glory.

What positive findings did the researchers from Harvard and their interdisciplinary group discover in their study of the year 536?

The researchers discovered that the reappearance of lead in the ice core samples indicated the production of silver for coinage, suggesting a sign of a recovering economy. This finding offered a positive note, showing that despite the hardships, there was a gradual improvement in economic activities.

What scientific methods did dendrochronologists use to determine the climate conditions around the year 536?

Dendrochronologists studied tree rings from Icelandic trees to determine the age of the trees and identify patterns that suggested a significant cooling period around the middle of the sixth century, which correlated with the climate disruptions of 536.

Outlines

00:00

🌑 The Darkest Year: 536 AD

The year 536 is considered the worst year to be alive due to a series of catastrophic events. Byzantine historian Procopius and scribe Michael the Syrian documented the unusual darkness that lasted for 18 months, causing a significant drop in temperature and crop failure, leading to a global famine. The darkness was likely caused by a massive volcanic eruption, which spread ash globally, affecting agriculture and making the environment inhospitable. The lack of sunlight and the drop in temperature had long-lasting effects, contributing to decades of hardship.

05:01

🌋 Volcanic Winter and Global Crisis

Researchers have found evidence of a major volcanic eruption around 536, which led to a 'volcanic winter' with ash blocking sunlight and causing a significant temperature drop. This event, along with subsequent eruptions in Iceland, initiated the 'Late Antique Little Ice Age,' further cooling the planet for a decade and exacerbating crop failure and famine. The social and economic impacts were profound, with the Byzantine Empire suffering a massive loss of population due to disease and famine, and the Moche civilization in Peru experiencing a collapse due to climate-induced agricultural failure.

10:03

🌳 Climate Trauma and Human Suffering

The script discusses the climate evidence left by the events of 536, such as tree rings indicating a significant cooling period and ice core samples from Iceland and Greenland confirming the volcanic activity. The global catastrophe set off by the volcanic eruption and the 'Late Antique Little Ice Age' led to widespread human suffering, including disease outbreaks like the Plague of Justinian, which killed an estimated 50 million people. The script concludes with a positive note on the resilience of humanity and the eventual economic recovery signaled by the reappearance of lead in coinage, indicating a revival in trade and production.

Keywords

💡Year 536

Year 536 is identified in the script as the worst year in history due to a series of catastrophic events that had a profound impact on the planet and human civilization. It is central to the video's theme, illustrating a time of global crisis marked by darkness, famine, and disease.

💡Volcanic Eruption

A volcanic eruption is a geological event that the script suggests played a significant role in the darkness and climate anomalies of 536. The ash from the eruption blocked sunlight, leading to a drop in temperature and affecting agriculture worldwide, contributing to the year's infamy.

💡Famine

Famine, as explained in the script, is a severe scarcity of food that results from crop failures. The lack of sunlight due to the volcanic ash led to reduced crop yields, causing widespread famine, which is a key element of the narrative of 536 being the worst year.

💡Temperature Drop

The temperature drop refers to the decrease in Earth's temperature by 1.6 to 2.5 degrees Celsius due to the volcanic ash blocking sunlight. This concept is crucial to understanding the environmental impact of the events in 536 and how it led to agricultural failure and famine.

💡Justinian Plague

The Justinian Plague, also known as the Plague of Justinian, is a pandemic that struck in the context of 536 and is mentioned in the script as a significant contributor to the year's devastation. It is an example of how disease can exacerbate the effects of environmental disasters.

💡El Niño

El Niño is a climate pattern that affects the world's weather and is mentioned in the script in relation to the Moche civilization. The script describes how an unusually strong El Niño event caused heavy flooding and disrupted agricultural systems, contributing to the hardships of 536.

💡Icelandic Volcanoes

Icelandic volcanoes are specifically mentioned in the script as the source of volcanic eruptions in 540 and 547, which further darkened the skies and continued the period of hardship initiated in 536. These eruptions are part of the evidence supporting the narrative of environmental disaster.

💡Late Antique Little Ice Age

The Late Antique Little Ice Age is a term used in the script to describe the period of cooling that followed the events of 536. It is a key concept that encapsulates the long-term climatic effects of the volcanic activity and its impact on human societies.

💡Moche Civilization

The Moche civilization is highlighted in the script as an example of a society severely impacted by the environmental changes of 536. Their decline is attributed to the El Niño weather system and its effects on their agricultural and fishing economies.

💡Ice Core Samples

Ice core samples are used in the script to illustrate the scientific evidence supporting the climatic events of 536. These samples provide a historical record of atmospheric conditions, including volcanic ash, which helps date and understand the environmental changes of that year.

💡Dendrochronology

Dendrochronology, the scientific method of dating tree rings, is mentioned in the script as a way scientists have studied the effects of the 536 climate event. The slowed growth of trees during that period indicates a significant cooling, adding to the evidence of the environmental upheaval.

Highlights

The year 536 is considered the worst year to be alive due to a series of catastrophic events.

Byzantine historian Procopius described the sun as dim during 536, causing a perpetually dark environment.

Michael the Syrian noted an 18-month period of darkness affecting agriculture and leading to sour wine.

Researchers found evidence of a massive volcanic eruption contributing to the global dimming and ash spread.

The lack of sunlight led to a significant drop in temperature and widespread crop failure, causing famine.

Ireland experienced 'Bread Failure' during this period due to crop scarcity.

The year 536 also saw the emergence of plagues that swept through populations, affecting immune systems.

The plague's symptoms included sores and leg swelling, leading to a high death toll.

Emperor Justinian's attempts to manage the plague inadvertently exposed more people to the disease.

China experienced unusual weather events like dust rain and frost in summer, leading to crop destruction.

Volcanic activity in Iceland and possibly El Salvador contributed to the 'Late Antique Little Ice Age'.

The climate disruptions of 536 led to the death of crops and people, both directly and indirectly.

The Byzantine Empire suffered greatly from the events of 536, never fully recovering its population or stability.

The Moche civilization in Peru was severely impacted by weather conditions and an El Niño system, affecting their economy.

Scholars, including Michael McCormick, used interdisciplinary methods to study the events of 536 and their aftermath.

Evidence from ice cores and tree rings helped pinpoint the catastrophic event to the year 536.

Despite the hardships, researchers found signs of economic recovery through the reappearance of lead in ice samples.

The study concludes that although 536 was a dark year, signs of recovery and improvement were evident.

Transcripts

The term "worst year ever" gets tossed around a lot these days,

mostly on the internet, and for reasons like,

I was disappointed in the latest Star Wars movie.

But scientists and historians have actually

argued that no year in the long history of this planet

was worse than the year 536.

While, sure, there have been plenty

of worthy contenders for the worst year

ever over the course of history, no single year

has had more of a measurably bad impact for the decades

that followed.

Today, we're going to explain why the year 536 was the worst

year to be alive.

But before we get started, be sure to subscribe

to the Weird History Channel.

Oh, and leave a comment too and let

us know what piece of history you

would like us to explain next.

OK, now let's settle this once and for all--

year 536, worst year ever.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

While serving as a military advisor

to Belisaurius, one of the Byzantine Empire's

most distinguished generals, Byzantine historian Procopius

noticed some trouble was brewing in the air while traveling

with his boss in Sicily in the year 536.

He wrote of a sun that gave forth light without brightness,

during like the moon, during this whole year.

And it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse

for the beams it shed were not clear nor such as it

is accustomed to shed.

Translated, it was all dark outside, like, all the time.

He, of course, wasn't the only one

to notice the sun appeared to be in a mood during 536.

Michael the Syrian, a Byzantine scribe,

would later write of this period, "The sun became dark

and its darkness lasted for 18 months.

Each day it shone for about four hours,

and still this light was only a feeble shadow.

Everyone declared that the sun would never

recover its full light.

The fruits did not ripen and the wine tasted like sour grapes."

This wishy-washy sun situation cast

a non-metaphorical dark cloud over the globe

that darkened the sky for at least a full year in 536.

Researchers later discovered evidence

of a massive volcanic eruption whose ash was likely

a major contributor to the Seattle-like weather, minus all

the rain, spreading ash and destruction on a global scale.

Not to mention, it made the grapes sour and the wine bad.

So that's an easy strike for the year 536.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Basic biology teaches us that plants

need the sun to aid in their growth and survival.

So not having direct sunlight for the duration

of at least a year did a real number on the crop output

around the world and sparked a widespread famine

around the globe.

And it's not just that the plants wanted

to catch their rays, it was just too darn chilly

for crops to grow.

With the sun cloaked in an endless cloud,

the temperature of the Earth dropped between 1.6 and 2.5

degrees Celsius, or 34.88 to 36.5 degrees

Fahrenheit for all the Americans thinking

that doesn't sound so bad.

But it also cooled temperatures for decades to come.

Crop scarcities were reported far and wide around this time

period, including Ireland, who suffered

through their own horrible sounding food depletion

they called "Bread Failure."

[MUSIC PLAYING]

A dusty veil covering the sun wasn't the only bad thing

in the air for these poor people just trying

to live their lives in 536.

There was also a plague or two waiting in the wings

to strike on these vitamin D-deprived immune systems.

Nobody was immune to this infestation.

It swept through the lower classes

all the way to the Imperial Palace.

"Symptoms," as it was lovingly described,

began with a sore that formed on the palm of the hand

and progressed until the afflicted one could not

take a step.

The leg swelled.

Then the buboes burst and pus came out.

Obviously, if this same plague were to infect the world today,

there would probably be a TV show

called Doctor Buboes, Pus Buster,

and with it a new contender for the worst year to be alive.

With the plague beginning to make the rounds

in Constantinople, the city began to stink,

what with the piles of dead sick bodies

just sort of being tossed around into the sea,

only to resurface later.

There wasn't a lot of burial planning going around

back then.

Bring out your dead!

There was more of a "wing it" vibe around the Justinian

Plague.

Emperor Justinian ordered the bodies

to be removed from the city.

I'm not dead.

Oh, he says he's not dead.

Yes, he is.

I'm not!

But all that did was expose more people to the disease,

as healthy people were responsible for moving

deceased, sickly bodies out of the cities.

Things weren't all bad for Emperor Justinian

though as the plague that took all of these lives

and made the city a smelly nightmare would later be named

the "Plague of Justinian."

So that was probably nice for him.

Less so, for the estimated 50 million people

that died from it, however.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Around 536, the climate in China started its journey

into madness, doing perfectly normal things

like raining dust you could scoop into your hands.

Not only should it not rain dust,

it certainly shouldn't be measurable by the scoopful.

The Nan Shi, a sixth century chronicle,

reported a yellow ash-like substance falling from the sky.

They named their freak weather hui, or dust,

and said it was yellow in color.

Whether this was volcanic ash or just

some random unexplained climate reaction is not known.

However, this was just the beginning

of China's climate disruption.

The chronicles of the southern dynasties

reported on a rare summer-winter weather event with frost

in the mid-summer and snow in August.

Like a Southern California girl in Chicago in January,

the crops were not here for this cold snap.

Summer crops were destroyed.

And the city of [? Xinzhou, ?] along with others,

were thrown into a deadly famine that lasted for two years

and resulted in the deaths of around 70% to 80%

of the population.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Researchers discovered evidence deep

in the ice sheets of Iceland and Greenland

that indicated a major volcanic event occurred around 536.

Volcanic eruptions in Iceland in 540 and 547

thrust people into the literal Dark Ages,

with ash lining the skies and blocking out the shiny, hot sun

thing in the sky that the people of the 6th century

were starting to get used to having around.

Based on a tropical volcanic ash later discovered,

some scholars have suggested a volcano in El Salvador

went blasting off around the year 535 or 536.

Still others pointed to a volcanic eruption

in North America as a contributor

to the dark skies around the world.

When combined with the two Icelandic volcano eruptions,

it kicked off it was adorably called the "Late Antique Little

Ice "Age.

This cute little ice age cooled off

the planet for at least a decade and resulted

in the death of crops and, subsequently, people.

Both directly through starvation and indirectly,

a malnourished population was more

susceptible to diseases, of which there were plenty

running around.

Well, there's one thing that certainly couldn't

claim it had a bad year--

exploding volcanoes.

[PEOPLE SCREAMING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

By the time the 6th century rolled around,

the Roman had migrated east to Constantinople.

And, under the guiding hand of Emperor Justinian,

the Romans sought to get back to the glory days of the empire,

much like a high school graduate who still hangs around campus

and wears their letterman jacket.

I mean, it is pretty cool.

Though some of Justinian's generals

saw success in this cool goal--

most notable, Belisaurius, who fought

against several different armies,

including Goths, Vandals, and others--

Justinian himself couldn't mirror

the success due to constant uprisings

and imperial instability.

Those pesky uprisings, always getting in the way of success.

To add sickness to war defeats, the Byzantine Empire

would never fully recover from the disease and famine sparked

by the events of 536.

The Byzantine Empire lost between 35% to 55%

of their population in the year 541.

Once the bubonic plague moved in,

it did what the plague did best--

kill depressingly high percentages

of entire populations.

Historians believe the plague could have been transported

by plague-infested rats hitching a ride on military trains

during this attempt to bring the Roman Empire back

to its peak, which clearly backfired.

[MAN SCREAMING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The horribleness of 536 didn't discriminate.

The Moche civilization of Peru wouldn't count 536

as their banner year either.

The Moche civilization-- a once dominant force in the region--

were known to be avid fishermen and developers

of an advanced irrigation system that allowed a variety of crops

to grow.

Their agricultural talents were the backbone of their economy.

But the weather conditions in the 6th century

caused their pocketbooks to take a deep hit.

It was around this time that an unusually strong El Niño

weather system caused waters to warm,

which decimated the fish supply.

The freak weather system also caused heavy flooding,

which ruined their irrigation systems

and devastated their ability to grow enough food

to feed their people.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

People, probably tired of listening to Twitter users

claim X and X was the worst year ever,

a group of scholars set out to set the record straight

once and for all.

Harvard historian Michael McCormick

and a group of scholars decided to science their way out

of the age-old question, what was the worst year to be alive?

Initially, however, this was not the ultimate goal of McCormick

and his group of 12 interdisciplinary scholars.

The group came together to study metal usage, coinage,

and changes to the 7th century monetary systems.

Somewhere in this thrilling subject matter,

one probably began to ponder if they were living in the worst

year to be alive.

Their findings included an analysis of volcanic fragments

from an Icelandic volcano in ice core samples

from Swiss glaciers that, yes, dated back to 536, confirming

the volcanic event that thrusted a good portion

of the northern hemisphere into unprecedented darkness,

setting off a global catastrophe.

Yeah, but in 1998, both Armageddon and Deep Impact

were released.

And people had to choose between which two asteroid-based action

movies they liked best.

That's a tough year.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The planet left behind plenty of evidence of climate trauma

that resulted in a chain of climate events

that spiraled over into real human suffering.

Remember, we only get one Earth, everyone.

Please recycle.

Dendrochronologists, people who study tree rings to determine

a tree's age since that's a science and not a wild guess,

noticed some disturbing patterns emerging

when examining Icelandic trees.

The rings indicated a period when the tree's growth had

slowed, suggesting a significant cool down

had occurred around the middle of the sixth century.

This, combined with the newly unearthed ice core

evidence discovered in 2018, helped date the time

of the catastrophic event that ruined Earth, for a little bit,

to the year 536.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

In researching for the worst year to be alive,

things weren't always so bleak.

In fact, the research started by our friends

at Harvard ended on a positive note.

While the events of 536 were the spark

for some truly literal dark days in our planet's history,

the researchers were also able to find the moments things

really started to turn around.

When researching coinage, they noticed the reappearance

of lead in the ice core samples, indicating

that people were producing silver again for money.

Ah, capitalism, the life force of us all.

Experts argued the prevalence of silver

meant more coins were being produced, which was

a sign of a thriving economy.

The lesson being, as bad as it may seem,

it will almost always get better, almost always.

So what do you think?

Would you like to go into a time machine

and play the ultimate game of Survivor?

Let us know in the comments below.

And, while you're at it, check out some of these other videos

from our Weird History.

[MUSIC PLAYING]