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Lisbon Earthquake (Portugal)
The earthquake had a magnitude of nine, and killed about 20,000 people. It occurred on All Saint's Day. Candles were lit for the holiday throughout the city and when the tsunami hit they were knocked over, creating a massive firestorm. -
Krakatoa Eruption (Java/Sumatra)
The volcanic explosivity index measured 6, and over 36,000 people were killed. Boats were rocked as far as South Africa. Quakes could apparently be felt all the way in Australia, and the town of Merak, in Java, was decimated. -
Aleutian Earthquake (Alaska)
The earthquake measured at a magnitude of 8.1, and killed about 160 people. The tsunami and earthquake caused over $26 million in damage. 4.5 hours after the initial earthquake, the tsunami hit Hawaii. -
Great Chilean Earthquake (Chile)
The magnitude measured at 9.5, and 61 people were killed. This was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. The tsunami hit southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, China, eastern New Zealand, Southeast Australia, and, of course, the Aleutian Islands. -
Good Friday Earthquake (Alaska)
The magnitude measured 9.2 and killed about 130 people. Tsunami waves were recorded in over 20 other countries, as far away as Peru. The earthquake was estimated to have released about 500 years of stress. -
Hokkaido Earthquake (Japan)
The earthquake measured at a magnitude of 7.8 and killed 120 people. The resulting tsunami killed people all the way in Russia. The largest recorded runup was 32 m on the west of Hokkaido. -
Papua New Guinea Quake (Papua New Guinea)
The magnitude measured 7.1 and over 2,100 people were killed. The tsunami was caused by an undersea landslide. The waves were estimated to reach a maximum height of 15 m. The tsunami was strong enough to uproot entire buildings and leave their foundations 50-60 miles away from their original spot. -
Sumatra Earthquake (Indonesia)
The magnitude measured 9.1 and about 230,000 people died. Donations towards humanitarian aid in the aftermath came to a total of more than $14 billion. -
Samoa Earthquake (Samoan Islands)
The magnitude measured 8.1 and about 200 people were killed. The tsunami waves measured a maximum height of 14 meters. The island of Niue was relatively safe because it had a higher elevation than other areas affected. -
Chile Earthquake (Chile)
The magnitude was 8.8 and about 700 people were killed. A pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued. Chile was hit by the tsunami about 30 minutes after the earthquake. -
Tohoku Earthquake (Japan)
The magnitude was recorded at 9.1 and over 20,000 people were killed. The runup height was estimated to be 38.9 meters, setting a record in Japan. A government study found that only about 5% of people who evacuated right after the tsunami warning were caught in the waves. -
Sulawesi Earthquake (Indonesia)
The magnitude of the quake measured 7.5 and about 4,340 people died. The earthquake broke the tsunami detectors in the city of Palu, so residents were not warned. The waves were also much larger than the government predicted.
