On this day in 1963, Mount Agung erupted on Bali, a small Indonesian Island in the Indian Ocean.

How Big a Bang? The eruption was one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century. Ash flows killed over 1,000 people.

The Highest Peak. Mount Agung ~ also known as Gunung Agung ~ is the highest mountain on Bali, with a height of over 10,000 feet.

Smoking Crater. It has a deep volcanic crater in the peak which occasionally vents smoke and steam.

A Sacred Spot. Mount Agung is considered sacred by the Bali people. It is also the most-climbed peak in Indonesia.

Thrones of the Gods. According to one Balinese myth, the gods made their thrones out of mountains and placed the highest throne ~ Mt. Agung ~ in Bali.

No More Wobbles. According to another myth, the gods thought the island of Bali wobbled too much. To stabilize it, they set it down on the holy mountain of Hinduism ~ Mahameru ~ which was later named Gunung Agung.

If the North Pole Is the Head, and the South Pole is the Foot... To the Balinese Mt. Agung became the "Navel of the World." In every Balinese temple, there is a shrine dedicated to its spirit.

Whole Lotta Volcanoes Goin' On. In addition to Mount Agung, Indonesia has another 130 active volcanoes, the most of any country in the world.

Almost Famous? The most famous of all Indonesian volcanoes is Krakatau, a small volcanic island where the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history occurred in 1883. It produced 150-foot tidal waves that killed more than 36,000 people. Within months, dust from the Krakatau eruption produced a veil in the atmosphere that temporarily lowered world temperatures by over a degree.