📺This Week In History - Mount St. Helens Erupts

Welcome back History Nerds,

Thanks for joining us for another fun edition of the LOL History Newsletter! In this one, you will be learning about the eruption of Mount St. Helen and the Lewis and Clark Expedition! Don’t worry, we’ve got a surprise for you at the end so make sure you read all the way to the bottom to see what it is!

Did You Know? On April 1, 1748, ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii were accidentally rediscovered—by a farmer digging a well. At the time, people didn’t even realize there had been a city buried under volcanic ash for over 1,600 years. When archaeologists started digging, they found loaves of bread still in ovens, graffiti on the walls, and people frozen in place by the eruption. Basically, Mount Vesuvius rage-quit an entire town—and preserved it like a time capsule.

During Your History Lesson You’ll Learn About:

• The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804

• Mount St. Helens Erupts

• Geneva, 1990: WHO’s Historic Step Toward Acceptance

• The Day an Ogre Took Over Hollywood

Charting the Unknown: The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804

On May 14, 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out from St. Louis, Missouri, launching an expedition that would chart the vast unknown of the Louisiana Territory and reach the Pacific by 1805. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, their journey into the uncharted West wove a thread of discovery and ambition into the fabric of a young America, shaping its dreams of expansion and destiny. With a small band of men, the Corps of Discovery embarked on a grueling odyssey, navigating treacherous rivers, towering mountains, and encounters with Native nations, all to map a land newly purchased from France.

The expedition wasn’t merely a trek; it was a bold assertion of a nation’s reach. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 had doubled U.S. territory overnight, but its rivers, peoples, and resources were a mystery. Lewis and Clark’s mission—*scientific*, diplomatic, and commercial—aimed to bind this wilderness to the American vision. They documented flora and fauna, forged ties with tribes like the Mandan and Shoshone, and sought a water route to the Pacific, a dream that proved elusive. Their journals, filled with vivid accounts of grizzly bears, starvation, and the aid of Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman who guided them.

What made the Lewis and Clark Expedition a turning point was its role in America’s westward gaze. Their maps and reports unveiled a continent’s potential, fueling migration, settlement, and conflict with Native peoples. The journey symbolized Manifest Destiny before the term existed, planting seeds for trails like the Oregon and homesteads that would reshape the West. Yet it also marked the beginning of an era where exploration often preceded displacement, as American expansion clashed with indigenous sovereignty. By reaching the Pacific, Lewis and Clark didn’t just chart a path—they set a nation on one.

Mount St. Helens Erupts—Silence Turns Deadly

On May 18, 1980, after weeks of rumbling and a 5.1 magnitude earthquake, Mount St. Helens in Washington State finally had enough—and erupted with a bang that could be heard hundreds of miles away. This wasn’t your average puff of smoke. The north face of the mountain collapsed, triggering one of the biggest volcanic explosions in U.S. history. The eruption blasted 1,300 feet off the summit, spewed ash 15 miles into the sky, and sent a pyroclastic flow roaring down the slopes at over 600 mph.

In minutes, the landscape turned apocalyptic. 57 people lost their lives, entire forests were flattened, and a thick layer of ash choked towns, farmlands, and highways. Air traffic was grounded, rivers were clogged with debris, and ecosystems were buried. The destruction reached across 11 states and caused over a billion dollars in damage. Check out this video of Mount St. Helens erupting.

For scientists and emergency officials, the eruption was a wake-up call. Volcanoes aren’t distant or ancient threats—they’re active, unpredictable, and dangerous. Mount St. Helens forced new approaches to monitoring, early warning systems, and disaster planning. The scars it left still shape how we prepare—because when a volcano goes silent, it’s not gone. It’s just waiting.

A Global Shift: WHO’s 1990 Step for Equality

On May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders — a landmark step toward global LGBTQ+ rights. This decision, made at the 43rd World Health Assembly in Geneva, ended a century-long stigma that had labeled love as a pathology, advancing acceptance worldwide.

The move followed years of activism and scientific research. Homosexuality had been classified as a mental illness in the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases since its inception, rooted in outdated Victorian ideas. By the late 20th century, studies like Evelyn Hooker’s in the 1950s showed no psychological difference between homosexual and heterosexual people. After the American Psychiatric Association’s 1973 declassification and growing pressure from activists following Stonewall, the WHO acted.

This change had a global impact. It empowered activists and governments to challenge discriminatory laws, fueling decriminalization and shifting the narrative toward human rights. Though cultural acceptance and legal progress lagged in many regions, May 17, 1990, marked a turning point, sowing seeds for future pride, legal victories, and greater equality.

The Day an Ogre Took Over Hollywood

On May 18, 2001, Shrek hit theaters nationwide, and let’s be honest—nobody was ready for a green ogre to completely hijack the animation world. Voiced by Mike Myers, with Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona, the film flipped the traditional fairy tale on its head. Instead of a handsome prince, we got swamp life, fart jokes, and a whole lot of Smash Mouth. And somehow, it worked. Shrek became a box office hit, charming kids, cracking up adults, and grossing nearly $500 million worldwide.

But Shrek didn’t just rake in the cash—it made history. At the 2002 Oscars, it took home the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, beating out heavy hitters like Monsters, Inc. Its success proved that animated movies could be just as smart, sarcastic, and self-aware as live-action ones. It also kicked off a franchise, sparked countless memes, and made “someBODY once told me...” a permanent part of pop culture.

Over two decades later, Shrek’s impact still holds up. It redefined what a hero could look like (hint: not human), gave us one of the most quotable animated duos ever, and reminded everyone that even ogres deserve a happily ever after. Not bad for a guy who just wanted people to get out of his swamp. Here is more information about the movie Shrek.

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See You Next Time!

We hope that you enjoyed this edition of the LOL History newsletter! See you next week!

— Evan & Derek - LOL History Co-Founders