-
Lisbon Earthquake
The Lisbon Earthquake was an 8.5-9 magnitude earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal. It occurred on November 1st, 1775 and claimed the lives of somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 people. Fact: Corpses were gathered and loaded onto barges, where they were then buried at sea. -
Krakatoa Eruption
The eruption of the volcano Krakatoa in Sumatra occurred on August 26th, 1883. It had a 6 VEI and claimed the lives of 36,000 people. Fact: Leading up to the eruption, boats passing by the harbor beside Krakatoa reported hearing thunder-like sounds coming from the volcano. -
Aleutian Earthquake
The Aleutian earthquake was an 8.6 magnitude earthquake in Alaska. It took the lives of between 165 and 173 people and occurred on April 1st, 1946. Fact: The destruction prompted the creation of the seismic sea wave warning system. -
Great Chilean Earthquake
The Great Chilean earthquake was a 9.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Chile on May 23rd, 1960. It claimed the lives of between 1,000 and 7,000 people. Fact: The tsunami caused by the quake also affected Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, China, New Zealand, and Australia. -
Good Friday Earthquake
The Good Friday earthquake was a 9.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Alaska. It claimed 139 lives and occurred on March 27th, 1964. Fact: This earthquake is the most powerful one recorded in North American history. -
Hokkaido Earthquake
The Hokkaido earthquake was a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Hokkaido, Japan. It took the lives of 230 people and occurred on July 12th, 1993. Fact: A landslide is believed to have triggered a second shockwave/earthquake. -
Papa New Guinea Earthquake
The Papa New Guinea earthquake was a magnitude 7 earthquake that affected Papa New Guinea. It claimed the lives of between 2183 and 2700 people. It occurred on July 17th, 1998. Fact: The tsunami triggered by the earthquake led to 500 people being declared missing, as well as 9,500 homeless. -
Sumatra Earthquake
The Sumatra earthquake was an 8.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Indonesia on December 26th, 2004. It claimed the lives of 280,000 people. Fact: The earthquake triggered multiple 100-foot tsunamis that killed around 227,893 people spanning 14 countries. -
Samoa Earthquake
The Samoa earthquake was an 8.1 magnitude earthquake in the Samoan Islands. It claimed the lives of 189 people and occurred on September 29th, 2009. Fact: In Lepa, Samoa--a town in southern Samoa--only a church and a welcome sign withstood the tsunami. -
Chile Earthquakes
The Chile earthquake was an 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile. It occurred on February, 27th, 2010, and claimed the lives of 525 people. Face: The epicenter was only 1.9 miles off the coast of Chile. -
Tohoku Earthquake
The Tohoku earthquake was an earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. It was a 9.1 magnitude and took the lives of 15,896 people. Fact: The costs in damage amounted to about $360 billion US dollars.
