The Dark Day of 1780

Imagine waking up one morning to find that the sun has vanished from the sky.

That’s exactly what happened on May 19, 1780, across parts of

New England and Canada — a day people would never forget, known as “The Dark Day.”

By midmorning, the sky dimmed to a strange copper color. Birds stopped singing.

Chickens went back to their coops. And by noon, it was so dark that people needed candles

to eat lunch. Panic spread quickly. Many believed it was Judgment Day — the end of the

world. Farmers abandoned their fields, churches filled with frightened

worshippers, and even the Connecticut legislature stopped its session in fear. But one man,