Great Earthquakes History | Earthquake Magnitude and People Killed

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History of Great Earthquakes

Every year thousands of earthquakes occur around the world that are strong enough to be felt by people. Of these, only a few hundred are of sufficient size to produce significant damage, and fewer still are large enough to cause substantial damage. Below is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) list of some of the most devastating earthquakes recorded around the world dating back to 1755.

Location	Date	Magnitude	Casualties
Lisbon, Portugal	Nov 1, 1755	8.6	60,000 people killed
San Francisco, California	Apr 18, 1906	8.3	700 people killed
Kansu, China	Dec 16, 1920	8.5	200,000 people killed
Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan	Sep 1, 1923	8.3	143,000 people killed
Agadir, Morocco	Jan 13, 1960	5.9	12,500 people killed
Tangshan, China	Jul 27, 1976	8.0	255,000 people killed
Mexico City, Mexico	Sep 19, 1985	8.1	9,500 people killed
Armenia, USSR	Dec 7, 1988	6.8	25,000 people killed
Loma Prieta, California	Oct 17, 1989	7.0	62 people killed
Northridge, California	Jan 17, 1994	6.8	60 people killed
Kobe, Japan	Jan 16, 1995	6.8	5,530 people killed
Gölcük, Turkey	Aug 17, 1999	7.6	17,000 people killed
Nantou, Taiwan	Sep 20, 1999	7.6	1,800 people killed
BengKulu, Indonesia	Jun 4, 2000	7.9	N/A
New Britain, PNG	Nov 16, 2000	7.3	N/A
India/Pakistan Border	Jan 26, 2001	7.9	20,000+ people killed

Lisbon, Portugal, November 1, 1755

Magnitude: 8.6; 60,000 people killed.
Most of Lisbon's 250,000 inhabitants were at church for All Saints' Day when the first quake struck at 9:40 a.m. on November 1, 1755. It was followed by an even more powerful tremor, which sent buildings toppling down on the terrified populace. Huge waves generated by the quake crashed over the quays, drowning thousands and causing widespread damage. Fire raged through what was left of the city, burning for three days. Other countries also experienced a great deal of destruction in the Lisbon quake and associated tsunamis. For instance, approximately 10,000 people died in Morocco alone.

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San Francisco, California, April 18, 1906

Magnitude 8.3; 700 people killed.
Most of San Francisco lay in ruins after movement along 270 miles (430 kilometers) of California's San Andreas fault generated an 8.3 earthquake. However, it was the post-quake fire, which swept through the city that caused most of the damage.


Tilted buildings caused by ground failures	Severely damaged San Francisco City Hall

Kansu, China, December 16, 1920

Magnitude 8.5; 200,000 people killed.
The Kansu region had been earthquake-free for 280 years before this disastrous quake struck. A great deal of the damage was due largely to poor soil conditions throughout the province with intense shock waves causing violent undulations of surface clay and several landslips. An area 280 miles by 95 miles (450km by 150km) was severely affected by landscape deformation. Ten cities suffered widespread destruction and heavy casualties.

Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan, September 1, 1923

Magnitude 8.3; 143,000 people killed.
The 1923 earthquake was one of Japan's worst natural disasters. The ground shook for five minutes as the Sagami Bay Fault ruptured. Thousands of buildings collapsed and a tsunami measuring 36 feet (11 meters) struck the coast. Most destructive of all were the resulting fires. A massive firestorm swept through Tokyo, destroying two thirds of the city's remaining buildings and burning thousands. A commemoration service is held annually in Tokyo on the anniversary of the catastrophic event.

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Agadir, Morocco, January 13, 1960

Magnitude 5.9; 12,500 people killed.
Although smaller in size seismically than other historical earthquakes, the 1960 Agadir quake still caused tremendous damage. Occuring directly under the town of Agadir, Morocco, it reduced the town to ruins in seconds. Thousands of people were buried beneath the vast piles of rubble. Destruction was so wide-spread that rebuilding was considered out of the question, and the area was abandoned.

Tangshan, China, July 27, 1976

Magnitude 8.0; 255,000 people killed.
This is probably the greatest death toll from an earthquake in the last four centuries, and the second greatest in recorded history. An additional 800,000 people were reported injured. Damage extended as far as Beijing, but was particularly extensive in the Tangshan area.

Collapse of School, Tangshan, China

Mexico City, Mexico September 19, 1985

Magnitude 8.1; 9,500 people killed.
Felt by almost 20 million people, this devastating earthquake injured nearly 30,000 people and left more than 100,000 people homeless. Severe damage was caused in parts of Mexico City, as well as several central Mexico states. In Mexico City, 412 buildings collapsed and another 3,124 were seriously damaged. A large percentage of the buildings that were damaged in Mexico City were between 8 and 18 stories high, indicating resonance effects due to the soft soils under the city.


Collapsed vertical supports	Total collapse of Juarez Hospital

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Armenia, USSR, December 7, 1988

Magnitude 6.8; 25,000 people killed.
About 19,000 people were injured and 500,000 left homeless in the Leninakan-Spitak-Kirovakan area of northern Armenia, USSR. More than 20 towns and 342 villages were affected, 58 of them destroyed completely. Spitak was almost totally destroyed, and one-quarter of the housing units in Leninakan were destroyed or damaged.


Damaged communications building in Spitak	Damaged building in Spitak

Northridge (Los Angeles), California, January 17, 1994

Magnitude 6.8; 60 people killed.
In addition to killing 60 people, this early morning quake injured more than 7,000 people and left 20,000 homeless. More than 40,000 buildings were damaged in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. Damages were estimated to be in the range of $20 billion (U.S.).


I10 Freeway Los Angeles	Northridge Fashion Plaza

Kobe, Japan, January 16, 1995

Magnitude 6.8; 5,530 people killed.
The Great Kobe Quake as it is called, killed 5,530 people, injured another 37,000. There was extensive damage in the Kobe area and on the island of Awajishima with more than 200,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Total damages were estimated at US$100 billion.

Collapsed portion of the Hanshin Expressway.

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Gölcük,Turkey, August 17, 1999

Magnitude 7.6; 17,000+ people killed.
More than 17,000 people were killed in this massive earthquake and many more were left homeless since many buildings were uninhabitable. Thousands of families in the region have been living in tent cities in fields since the quake.

Nanaou, Taiwan, September 20, 1999

Magnitude 7.6; 2,200+ people killed.
This 1999 quake killed more than 2,200 people and left several thousands more homeless. Thousands of families in the region have been living in tent cities in fields.