On May 19, 1780, New Englanders experienced what became known as "The Dark Day"—when the skies mysteriously turned from day to night at 10 AM. Candles were lit in homes, chickens returned to roost, and people flocked to churches fearing the end of the world had come.
The darkness was so complete that the Connecticut House of Representatives considered adjourning. When someone suggested they might be facing Judgment Day, representative Abraham Davenport famously replied, "I am against adjournment. The Day of Judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty."
Scientists now believe the darkness was caused by a combination of massive forest fires in Canadaand unusual fog conditions, but at the time, it was considered one of history's most terrifying natural phenomena. The smoke was so dense that it blocked out the sun completely across the northeastern United States, creating one of America's earliest recorded environmental mysteries.