In all likelihood, June 30, 1908, began as a normal morning in Siberia. At last, the frozen boreal woods had given way to the thaw of early summer.
The dawn was interrupted when a light nearly as bright as the sun tore across the sky over Lake Baikal. Clouds and a pillar of flames rose from the Earth. After a few minutes, a shockwave spread across the land, breaking windows for miles.
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