What year contained the hottest day in Knoxville history?
A – 1893
B – 1930
C – 1965
D – 2012
Answer:
D – In fact, the hottest two days in Knoxville history were one decade ago, June 30 and July 1, 2012, when the temperature reached 105. That’s not counting any “misery index.” Both of those days broke the previous record set on July, 12, 1930, when the official temperature reached 103.7. It may seem surprising that the 1930 weather event was a much bigger newsmaker, reported almost as if it were a tornado or earthquake, with multiple personal stories about coping with that extreme. Several Knoxvillians passed out from the heat, some suffering heart attacks; businesses closed; publicity-seekers were literally frying eggs on the streets. By contrast, many who lived through the hotter days of 2012 didn’t notice it–and don’t remember it today. We all spent the weekend inside, with air conditioning. For more, see https://knoxvillehistoryproject.org/2019/07/02/the-hottest-day-and-the-immortal-kiosk/
