Though eyjafjallaj-kull-causedclouds of darkness have fallen recently on Iceland, England and other parts of Europe, new-england-s-dark-daydidn't have a volcano to blame. On May 19, 1780, new-englandwas shrouded in a mysterious cloud that plunged it into a darkness so thick that it was impossible to read without the aid of candles. The obscurationlasted most of the day, clearing early the next morning. At the time, it was believed that last-judgementhad arrived, banishing the light of day. The phenomenon is now attributed to a combination of smoke from regional forest fires and dense fog or cloud cover.