This is a list of notable volcanic eruptions in the 16th to 20th centuries with a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 4 or higher, and smaller eruptions that resulted in significant damage or fatalities. Note that there may be uncertainties to dates with historical eruptions, and there are likely to be many large eruptions that have not been identified.

Large eruptions (VEI of 4 or higher) 20th century VEIVolcanoCountryYearFatalitiesNotes4UlawunPapua New Guinea20004Mount TavurvurPapua New Guinea19945Tavurvur, and nearby Vulcan, erupted and devastated Rabaul; however, due to planning for such a catastrophe, the townsfolk were prepared and only five people were killed. One of the deaths was caused by lightning, a feature of volcanic ash clouds.4LáscarChile19934Mount SpurrAlaska, United States19925Mount HudsonChile19916Mount Pinatubo Philippines1991847Second largest eruption of the 20th century, and largest stratospheric disturbance since the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. Many deaths were caused by complication of the arrival of Typhoon Yunya.4KeludIndonesia199032A strong and explosive eruption in early February 1990 produced a 12 km high column of tephra, heavy tephra falls and several pyroclastic flows. 32 people were killed, over 500 homes and 50 schools were destroyed and many others were damaged.4Klyuchevskaya SopkaRussia19874ChikurachkiRussia19864AugustineAlaska, United States19864Mount ColoIndonesia19834GalunggungIndonesia198218Notable for bringing attention to the dangers of volcanic ash on aircraft after two Boeing 747 jets suffered engine failure from its ash cloud.5El ChichónMexico19821,9009 villages were destroyed, killing at least 1,900 people. Ejected 7 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere.4North PaganNorthern Marianas Islands, United States1981–19854Vulkan AlaidRussia19815Mount St. HelensWashington, United States198057Most deadly and economically destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States. Ash from the eruption reached all the way to Montana. Casualties were limited, owing to the evacuation of the surrounding forest, with exception of loggers who did not depart in time; incinerated in large forest fire that was a result of one of seventeen pyroclastic flows. Sound of eruption could be heard 700 miles (1127 km) away; entire flank of mountain collapsed. Noted for extremely large lahar that flooded the banks of the Toutle River and destroyed several bridges.4AugustineAlaska, United States19764TolbachikRussia19754Volcán de FuegoGuatemala19744TyatyaRussia19734FernandinaEcuador19684Mount AwuIndonesia19664KeludIndonesia19664TaalPhilippines19654ShiveluchRussia19645Mount AgungIndonesia19631,5845BezymiannyRussia1955–19574Carran-Los VenadosChile19554Mount SpurrAlaska, United States19534BaganaPapua New Guinea19524KeludIndonesia19514Mount LamingtonPapua New Guinea19512,942The only recorded eruption of Mount Lamington devastated Oro Province. Pyroclastic flows caused extreme destruction north of the volcano. Its effects were extensively studied by volcanologist Tony Taylor and his report was published in 1958.4AmbrymVanuatu19504HeklaIceland19474Sarychev PeakRussia19464AvachinskyRussia19454ParícutinMexico1943–195231943–1952 eruption of Parícutin4RabaulPapua New Guinea19375074Kuchinoerabu-jimaJapan1933–193488 people were killed and 26 others were injured. Nanakama Village was burned by fire from glowing blocks.4SuohIndonesia1933Occurred two weeks after the 1933 Sumatra earthquake, which produced a surface rupture on the volcano.5KharimkotanRussia19335Cerro AzulChile1932It is the largest recorded eruption in the history of Chile. The eruption threw ash between the cities of Rancagua and Chillán, leaving them in the dark in broad daylight. The explosions were noticeable in Santiago, 245 km away. Ashes from the eruption were observed in Buenos Aires (capital of Argentina), Montevideo (capital of Uruguay), the south of Brazil and South Africa.Columna de sismología: El Quizapu, la erupción más grande del Chile republicano (in Spanish)4Volcán de FuegoGuatemala19324Mount AniakchakAlaska, United States19314Klyuchevskaya SopkaRussia19314Hokkaidō Koma-ga-takeJapan19294AvachinskyRussia19265Submarine Volcano NNE of Iriomote IslandJapan1924Submarine Volcano4RaikokeRussia19244ManamPapua New Guinea19194KeludIndonesia19195,160Lahars killed over 5,000 people.4KatlaIceland19184TungurahuaEcuador19164SakurajimaJapan191458Most powerful eruption in Japan in the twentieth century. The volcano had been dormant for over a century until 1914. Almost all residents had left the island in the previous days; several large earthquakes had warned them that an eruption was imminent. Initially, the eruption was very explosive, generating eruption columns and pyroclastic flows, but after a very large earthquake on 13 January 1914, which killed 58 people, it became effusive, generating a large lava flow.4Volcán de ColimaMexico19136NovaruptaAlaska, United States1912Largest eruption of the 20th century4Lolobau Papua New Guinea19115KsudachRussia19074Mount VesuviusItaly1875–19062164LolobauPapua New Guinea19044Þórðarhyrna Iceland19036Santa María Guatemala19026,0001902 eruption of Santa María4Mount PeléeIsland of Martinique, French Overseas Territory, France190233,000Deadliest eruption of the 20th century and the deadliest natural disaster in the history of France. Destroyed Saint-Pierre, Martinique. Only 2 people survived this eruption, with 1 being held as a prisoner and was locked underground avoiding the pyroclastic flows.4La SoufrièreSaint Vincent and the Grenadines19021,7001,700 people were killed and a further 600 people were injured or burned. At least 4,000 people were left homeless.

19th century VEIVolcanoCountryYearFatalitiesNotes4Doña JuanaColombia18994Mount MayonPhilippines1897350–4004CalbucoChile1893–18944SuwanosejimaJapan18894Volcán de ColimaMexico18894Mount BandaiJapan1888477+1888 eruption of Mount Bandai4Niuafo'ouTonga18865Mount TaraweraNew Zealand1886108+Largest historical eruption in New Zealand4TungurahuaEcuador188624AugustineAlaska, United States1883–1884Augustine has had six significant eruptions: 1812, 1883–1884, 1935, 1963–1964, 1976, and 1986. Only the 1883 eruption produced a tsunami.6Krakatoa Indonesia188336,417The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was one of the loudest explosions ever recorded, and was heard at least 3,000 miles (4,800 km) away. Caused a 5-year volcanic winter. The island had three volcanoes. Perboewatan (410 ft) and Danan (1,480 ft) were destroyed during the eruption, and Rakata (2,667 ft) was half destroyed and the surviving half remains above sea level. In 1928, a new volcano called Anak Krakatoa (1,063 ft) grew above sea level, forming a new island by Rakata's island.4Volcán de FuegoGuatemala18804CotopaxiEcuador18773404SuwanosejimaJapan18775AskjaIceland18754GrímsvötnIceland18734Mount MerapiIndonesia18722004SinarkaRussia18724MakianIndonesia1861309–3264KatlaIceland18604Volcán de FuegoGuatemala18574Hokkaidō Koma-ga-takeJapan1856205ShiveluchRussia18544Mount UsuJapan18534FonualeiTonga18464HeklaIceland18455Mount AgungIndonesia18435CosigüinaNicaragua18355-6Zavaritski CalderaKuril Islands18314Klyuchevskaya SopkaRussia18294AvachinskyRussia18274KeludIndonesia18265GalunggungIndonesia18224,011Lahars killed more than 4,000 people.4Mount UsuJapan1822504Volcán de ColimaMexico18184Mount RaungIndonesia18177Mount TamboraIndonesia181571,000–250,100+Largest and deadliest volcanic eruption in recorded history. Caused the "Year Without a Summer" in 1816.4Mount MayonPhilippines18141,200The town of Cagsawa was buried and approximately 1,200 people were killed.4SuwanosejimaJapan18134Mount AwuIndonesia18124La SoufrièreSaint Vincent and the Grenadines1812566Unknown sourceUnknown1808Greenland and Antarctic ice samples suggest an undocumented eruption roughly half the magnitude of Mount Tambora occurred, contributing to the 1810s being the coldest decade in at least 500 years. Recent searches of documents suggest that it may have taken place in South Western Pacific Ocean around 4 December 1808 and observed in Colombia from 11 December 1808. It is also known that the Chilean Putana volcano had a major eruption around this time with an approximate date of 1810 (with a 10-year margin of error), but is located 22 degrees south.4TutupacaPeru1802

18th century VEIVolcanoCountryYearFatalitiesNotes5Mount St. HelensWashington, United States18004WitoriPapua New Guinea18004Mount WestdahlAlaska, United States17954San Martin TuxtlaMexico17934KilaueaHawaii, United States1790400+Keanakakoi eruption4Mount EtnaItaly17874LakiIceland1783–178410,000+1783–1784 eruption of Laki4Mount AsamaJapan17831,500–1,624Tenmei eruption4RaikokeRussia1778154Mount UsuJapan17694CotopaxiEcuador17684HeklaIceland1766–17684Miyake-jimaJapan17634Mount PavlofAlaska, United States17624MakianIndonesia1760–17614El JorulloMexico1759–17745KatlaIceland17555TaalPhilippines175450-60+Erupted continuously for 200 days and buried the Town of Taal on the shore of the lake4TaalPhilippines17494CotopaxiEcuador17444Oshima–ŌshimaJapan1741–17421,467–2,0331741 eruption of Oshima–Ōshima and the Kampo tsunami5Mount TarumaeJapan17394Volcán de FuegoGuatemala17374ÖræfajökullIceland1727–17285KatlaIceland17214Cerro BravoColombia17204Raoul IslandKermadec Islands, New Zealand17204Volcán de FuegoGuatemala17174TaalPhilippines17165Mount FujiJapan1707Hōei eruption of Mount Fuji 17th century VEIVolcanoCountryYearFatalitiesNotes4HeklaIceland16935TangkokoIndonesia16805Mount GamkonoraIndonesia16735Mount TarumaeJapan16675Mount UsuJapan16634KatlaIceland1660–16614Guagua PichinchaEcuador16606Long IslandPapua New Guinea16605ShiveluchRussia16524KolumboSantorini, Greece1650704MakianIndonesia16464KeludIndonesia16415Mount MelibengoyPhilippines1640–16415Hokkaido KomagatakeJapan1640700A partial summit collapse caused a tsunami that killed 700 people.4RaungIndonesia16385Mount VesuviusItaly16314,000+1631 eruption of Mount Vesuvius5FurnasAzores, Portugal16304Raoul IslandKermadec Islands, New Zealand16305KatlaIceland16254Volcán de ColimaMexico16224KatlaIceland16124Volcán de ColimaMexico1606 16th century VEIVolcanoCountryYearFatalitiesNotes4SuwanosejimaJapan16006HuaynaputinaPeru16001,5001600 eruption of Huaynaputina, Russian famine of 1601–16034HeklaIceland15974Nevado del RuizColombia1595636This eruption caused lahars, which traveled down the valleys of the nearby Gualí and Lagunillas rivers, clogging up the water, killing fish and destroying vegetation. More than 600 people died as a result of the lahar.5RaungIndonesia15935KeludIndonesia158610,000+4Volcán de ColimaMexico15854Volcán de FuegoGuatemala15814KatlaIceland15806Billy MitchellPapua New Guinea15805Água de PauAzores, Portugal15634KatlaIceland15504CotopaxiEcuador15344CotopaxiEcuador15324HeklaIceland15104KatlaIceland1500

Smaller eruptions resulting in fatalities or significant damage