Grewingk (1850, translated 2003 by Fritz Jaensch) writes that Amukta was "with active volcano until this year [1770]." Becker (1898) and Dall (1870) translate this statement as 1770 being the year Amukta became quiet.

Grewingk (1850, translated 2003 by Fritz Jaensch) writes that Shelikov reported Amukta "all in flames" in June of 1786, and Sarychev reported it active in 1790. In Grewingk's chronological table of eruptions, he writes that Amukta was active from 1786 through 1791. The English translation of Sarychev is less clear: "On the morning of the 29th we passed the island Amuchta at a distance of 6 miles. It is about 27 miles in extent, and is said to have a volcano."
Shelikhov (translated in 1981 by Marina Ramsay) writes: "During this voyage [the return] we saw the Islands of the Four Mountains and Amukhta. Because of active volcanoes the latter seemed to be enveloped in flame."
Sapper (1927) estimates a tephra volume of 10^7 to 10^9 for this eruption; the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Database uses this estimate and, in turn, estimates a tephra volume of 5.1 +/- 5.0 x 10^8 cubic meters.

Coats (1950) reports smoke from Amukta in 1876. An article in the journal Nature (1879) reports Amukta in eruption in 1878, however. The Nature article states: "In the volcanic series of the Aleutian Islands, the volcanoes on Amukta, Tscheguluk, and the Vsevidok volcano (almost 2,800 m high) on Umnak were in eruption."

Newspaper accounts of a possible eruption at Amukta Volcano in 1932 are as follows:
From the Associated Press, March 1, 1932: "The crew of the motorship Eunice here [Dutch Harbor, AK] from the west, reported Amukta Island was throwing out a dense cloud of smoke and ashes over the water."
From the International News Service, March 1, 1932: "Spouting smoke and ashes for the first time in modern history of any of the present residents of Amukta Island volcano in the Aleutians group today went into action. Seismologists and geologists said it was the initial reuption of the volcano as far as they could ascertain."

From Miller and others (1998): "On February 13, 1963 an eruption occurred involving the central crater and one or more parasitic vents; both ash and lava were produced (Anchorage Times, February 11, 1963; Decker, 1967). Persistent low clouds obscured the exact source of the lava, but the flow was seen to extend from the west side of the cone southwest into the sea at Traders Cove (Bulletin of Volcanic Eruptions, 1963 [Coats, R.R., 1963]."
The text of the Anchorage Times, February 11, 1963 article is as follows: "KODIAK - A volcano is erupting near Amukta Island on the Aleutian Chain, according to reports received at the Kodiak Naval Station.
"A Navy plane yesterday flew near the scene and crewmen reported a mountain billowing dark gray and black smoke about 500 feet in the air. Lava is flowing from the cone to the ocean 3,700 feet below. Mushroom-shaped steam clouds are rising where the lava enters the ocean.
"The volcano is erupting about every 15 mintues and was continuing its activity today, say latest reports.
"The volcanic cloud was first spotted from the Navy ship Mizar."
From volcano observations on file at UAF/GI: "Facts reported by pilot of U.S. Navy aircraft that observed and photographed Amukta island volcano on 19 February 1963:
'We arrived over Amukta Island at an altitude of 500 feet. The approach was made from the north end of the island. Huge billowing clouds of steam were rising from the volcano to an altitude of 800 feet. No lava was present on the north and east side of the island. We continued down the west side of the island and saw a stream of red flowing lava, approximately 20-30 wide [units not given], from the obscured area of the volcano at an approximate altitude of 2,000 feet, to the southwest area of the island, where it ended.
'Hot lava was present in the sea on the southwest corner of the island where many small columns of steam were rising. Numerous passes were made to the northwest and the southeast across the plateau on the southwest corner of the island. Photographs were taken. These pictures included those taken from a minimum of altitude of 200 feet to 9,000 feet. The high altitude shots were made from east due to sun location; partial cloud cover did not permit photography of all aspects of the island.
'Lava flow was to the west only in one large stream to the west from the crater, turning and flowing toward the water line on the southwest corner. The other three sides of the island appeared unaffected with only a light covering of dust visible. The billowing columns of steam and smoke coming from the crater were very white, turning grey to darker shades at intervals. Seals in large numbers still inhabited the entire west shoreline of the island.'"

From Reeder (1987): "Pilot Tom Madsen observed the emission of voluminous amounts of steam from the summit crater of Amukta volcano of Amukta Island during a return trip from Atka of Atka Island to Dutch Harbor of Unalaska Island. His observation was made at about 1600 local time on 12 July 1984. The steam plume completely filled the summit crater, rose to a 1,100 m altitude just above the volcano, and drifted to the SW for at least 4 km at a lower altitude. Tom Madsen has flown in the Aleutian Islands since 1980 and he has only observed occasional wisps of white steam from this crater before. This steam activity was considered by Tom to be very anomalous."

From Reeder (1990): "On 4 September 1987, flight engineer George Wooliver observed from his Reeve Aleutian Airways, Inc. Boeing 727 a small eruption plume from the top of Amukta Island. The dark tephra plume rose at least 300 m above the volcano and then drifted to NW for up to 1 km. George could visually see the NW side of the volcano, while the rest of it was covered by low altitude clouds. George's observations were made from a 9,750 m altitude at a distance of unfortunately nearly 120 km to N. George has fortunately flown the Aleutian Islands since the 1950s, and he is well experienced at observing Aleutian volcanic eruptions.
Normally the only activity of Amukta volcano is the very minor amount of nearly continuous steam emission from several small vents that are located just inside of the Amukta summit crater and on the very floor of the Amukta summit crater. This information is based on observations made by Harold Wilson of Peninsula Airways Inc., who has flown in the region regularly between September 1983 and July 1987."
From Smithsonian Institution, 1987: "At about 1000 on 28 August pilots Charles Kozler, Wayne Russell, and George Wooliver (Reeve Aleutian Airways) reported an eruption plume reaching 10.5 km altitude in the vicinity of Amukta, drifting WNW. The FAA issued a NOTAM warning pilots to stay 25 miles [40 km] from Amukta Island. Heavy weather clouds covered Amukta Island so its activity could not be directly observed. Mt. Cleveland, 100 km ENE, was apparently active that same morning and winds were blowing in the direction of Amukta (see Mt. Cleveland 12:08). The origin of the large cloud remains both uncertain and controversial at the time of this report.
"On 4 September Wooliver observed a small dark ash plume rising at least 300 m above the summit of Amukta then drifting as much as 1 km NW. Only the NW flank was visible because of cloud cover. His observations were made from 9,750 m altitude from nearly 120 km N. Wooliver has flown in the Aleutian Islands since the 1950's and is experienced at observing eruptions.
" Amukta's last known eruptive activity was on 12 July 1984 (BVE, no. 24). Harold Wilson (Peninsula Airways) notes that normal activity * * * is continuous minor steam emission from several small vents just inside the summit crater rim."

From Neal and McGimsey (1997): "In early July (date not recorded but it was during the first week), AVO received a fax from the USCG which included a ship-based observation in the vicinity of Seguam Island. Crew noted a 'large plume of ash and smoke * * * from Amukta.' They estimated the plume to be 2500-3000 feet high, presumably over the summit of the volcano. USFWS workers on Seguam were notified but reported seeing nothing unusual in the direction of Amukta. Satellite images from around the time of the report showed nothing of possible volcanic origin.
"On September 18, AVO received a pilot report of an eruption at Amukta. An Alaska Airlines pilot described an ash plume rising about 1000 feet above the 3500-foot summit of the volcano during flights on both the 17th and 18th. The plumes extended southward about 10 miles before dissipating. Satellite analysis on the 19th showed a narrow cloud that extended 22 mi south-southeast of Amukta, but this cloud contained no ash signature in bands 4-5.
"We later received Alaska State Trooper videotape -- visual and infrared (IR) from a flight on September 18th. It shows a brownish ash plume rising in intermittent dark puffs (estimated at 30 second intervals by the flight crew) about 500-1000 feet above the summit, then drifting south (?). The video captures fallout of ash in progress on the flank of the volcano. The ash cloud becomes fairly dilute rapidly as it drifts downwind. As the plane passes over the volcano, the active vent was visible a secondary crater against the inner wall of the main summit crater which appears to be formed by coalescence of several separate steep-walled pits. A fresh (?) tephra ring defines the active vent, and the main crater rim and upper flanks are covered with brownish tephra."

From McGimsey and Wallace (1999): "On March 3, 1997, Dutch Harbor air-taxi operator Tom Madsen reported seeing a small ash eruption at Amukta with the cloud barely clearing the top of the cone. No evidence of eruptive activity was detected from analysis of satellite images. The PIREP was included in AVO weekly updates of March 7 and 14. Absence of seismic instrumentation coupled with remoteness of the area requires AVO to rely mainly on PIREPs and satellite imagery for monitoring the volcanoes of the central and western Aleutians. No further information on Amukta was reported to AVO."