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Lisbon Earthquake (Portugal)
On November 1, 1755, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake was set off. Many buildings in Lisbon collapsed and killed thousands of people. Citizens ran off towards the seaports, being told it was safe there due to the lack of buildings. However, the earthquake caused a tsunami to form and killed everyone by the seaport and further in. On top of that, a fire broke out and lasted for five days. By the end, around 20,000 people had died. -
Krakatoa Eruption (Java/Sumatra)
On August 26, 1883, Krakatoa erupted. Four explosions were set off and were so loud that they could be heard as far away as Perth, Australia (2800 miles away). The volcano ended up killing around 36,000 people. The eruption caused temperatures all over the world to drop. -
Aleutian Earthquake (Alaska)
On April 1, 1946, a 8.1 magnitude earthquake went off in Alaska. The quake set off a tsunami with waves as high as 155 feet. Around 160 people died, but most of these deaths occurred in Hawaii. There was little damage in Alaska, but in Hawaii damage cost was over $300 million dollars. -
Great Chilean Earthquake (Chile)
On May 23, 1960, a 9.5 magnitude earthquake, the largest in history, set off in Chile. The quake affected people in Chile, along with Hawaii and Japan. Around 1,600 people died and thousands more were left injured. Two days after the quake, the Cordon-Caulle volcano in Chile erupted after being inactive for 40 years, with people believing the eruption was linked to the quake. The event left 2 million people homeless. -
Good Friday Earthquake (Alaska)
On March 27, 1964, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake set off in Alaska. The ground shaking was very intense and lasted for almost five minutes. 130 people died with $500 million dollars in property damage. Survivors of the quake remember it being so intense and long-lived that they thought the Soviet Union had dropped a nuke on Anchorage. -
Hokkaido Earthquake (Japan)
On July 12, 1993, a 7.8 magnitude quake set off in Japan. 120 people died from the quake with $600 million dollars in property loss. Around 700 fishing boats were damaged or lost during the quake. -
Papua New Guinea Quake (Papua New Guinea)
On July 17, 1998, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake set off in Papua New Guinea. The quake caused a tsunami that hit shores in a series of three waves. 2,100 people died and over 10,000 people were displaced. -
Sumatra Earthquake (Indonesia)
On December 26, 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake set off in Indonesia. The quake caused a tsunami to form with waves 30 feet or higher when it hit the shoreline. It devastated coastal areas as far away as East Africa. The death toll was around 230,000. -
Samoa Earthquake (Samoan Islands)
On September 29, 2009, a 8.1 magnitude earthquake set off on the Samoan Islands. The quake occurred early in the morning and jolted people awake. 200 people died with whole villages wiped out. -
Chile Earthquake (Chile)
On February 27, 2010, a 8.8 magnitude earthquake set off in Chile. 700 people died and nearly 400,000 homes were affected. The Chilean army sent more than 10,000 soldiers to help in the devastated areas. -
Tohoku Earthquake (Japan)
On March 11, 2011, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake set off in Japan.
The quake's effects were felt worldwide. The quake set off a tsunami which went inland, easily going over the seawalls. The waters reached a nuclear power plant stationed in the area and caused a nuclear meltdown. 20,000 people died from the incident.
