Ask a kid in the 1990s what killed the dinosaurs and volcanoes were a solid, respectable answer, dramatic enough for a filmstrip and plausible enough that most teachers didn't push back. Volcanic activity really was happening around that time, so the theory wasn't invented from nothing. It just wasn't the main event. A six-mile-wide asteroid slamming into what's now Mexico did far more damage, far faster, and left behind a crater that's literally named for the impact. Lava gets a supporting role at best.
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What you were taught
Dinosaurs died only from a volcano
What we know now
While volcanic activity was present, the prevailing scientific consensus is that the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs was primarily caused by the impact of a large asteroid (Chicxulub impactor) about 66 million years ago, which led to widespread environmental devastation.
Was "Dinosaurs died only from a volcano" taught in school?
Yes — and not as a joke question on a quiz. This science claim showed up in textbooks, worksheets, and classroom posters through the 1990s, which is why so many people still remember it as settled fact long after the science moved on.
Is "Dinosaurs died only from a volcano" true?
No. While volcanic activity was present, the prevailing scientific consensus is that the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs was primarily caused by the impact of a large asteroid (Chicxulub impactor) about 66 million years ago, which led to widespread environmental devastation. If you want the primary citation, start with Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event - Wikipedia.
When was this understanding updated?
The evidence had largely shifted by around 2000. Schools don't flip overnight, though — plenty of classrooms kept teaching the older version for years after researchers had already moved on.