Carrington Event started - the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history.

The Carrington Event was the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history, peaking on 1–2 September 1859 during solar cycle 10. It created strong auroral displays that were reported globally and caused sparking and even fires in telegraph stations. The geomagnetic storm was most likely the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun colliding with Earth's magnetosphere.

Carrington Richard drawing of 1859 sunspots
Carrington Richard drawing of 1859 sunspots (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
CME of 23 July 2012
CME of 23 July 2012 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Aurora Australis From ISS
Aurora Australis From ISS (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Aurora borealis2, Churchill, MB
Aurora borealis2, Churchill, MB (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Watch: The Carrington Event | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

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Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Carrington Event, Geomagnetic storm (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.