when did mount saint helens erupted

Mount Saint Helens erupted catastrophically on May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m. The eruption began after two months of increasing volcanic activity, including earthquakes and steam explosions. The north face of the volcano collapsed in the largest subaerial landslide in recorded history, which was immediately followed by a massive lateral explosion and a towering ash column that rose about 80,000 feet into the atmosphere. This eruption is considered the most disastrous volcanic event in U.S. history and drastically changed the landscape around the volcano.