Heimaey, literally Home Island, is an Icelandic island. At a size of 13.4 kmē, it is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, and the largest and most populated Icelandic island outside the main island of Iceland. On January the 23 of 1973 at around 1 a.m. in the morning, a volcanic eruption of the mountain Eldfell began on Heimaey. During the night, the 5000 inhabitants of the island were evacuated, mostly by fishing boats, as almost the entire fishing fleet was in dock. Read more