This Day In History: 08/27/1883 - Krakatoa Explodes

Edwin Drake struck oil on September 27 in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in this video clip from This Day In History. This would become the first successful oil well drilled in America. Russ Mitchell recaps other events occurring on this day as well. The Mariner 2 was launched by the US on September 27 to fly past Venus, and MIT researchers announced that they made a breakthrough in biotechnology by implanting a synthetic gene into a living cell. Also, a series of volcanic eruptions tore the Indonesian island of Krakatau apart.

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This Day In History: 08/27/1883 - Krakatoa Explodes | HISTORY