Curated timeline

Major Earthquakes History

A geological timeline of the most devastating seismic events in history. From ancient tremors to modern disasters like San Francisco, Valdivia, and Tohoku, examining their impact on science and society.

• Amos Earthquake (Biblical) (c. 760 BCE)

  Major earthquake mentioned by prophets Amos and Zechariah, with archaeological evidence discovered in Jerusalem and throughout the Levant.

• Sparta Earthquake (c. 464 BCE)

  Devastating earthquake nearly destroys Sparta, kills an estimated 20,000 people and contributes to a major helot revolt.

• Rhodes Earthquake (Spring, 226 BCE)

  Major earthquake destroys the city of Rhodes and the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

• Judea Earthquake (Spring, 31 BCE)

  Major earthquake in Judea kills an estimated 30,000 people, recorded by historian Josephus during Herod's campaigns.

• Pompeii Earthquake (February 5, 62 CE)

  Major earthquake damages Pompeii and surrounding areas, preceding the famous 79 CE volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

• Antioch Earthquake (December 13, 115 CE)

  Massive earthquake hits Antioch killing an estimated 260,000 people; Emperor Trajan and his successor Hadrian were present and narrowly escaped death.

• Crete Earthquake (July 21, 365 CE)

  A megathrust earthquake with a magnitude of 8.5+ near Crete caused a massive tsunami that destroyed coastal towns across the Mediterranean, notably Alexandria.

• Antioch Earthquake (May 29, 526 CE)

  One of the deadliest earthquakes in antiquity strikes Antioch, killing approximately 250,000 people and causing a devastating fire.

• Constantinople Earthquake (December 14, 557 CE)

  Major earthquake 'almost completely razes' Constantinople, damages the famous Hagia Sophia dome, which collapsed a few months later.

• Corinth Earthquake (856 CE)

  Devastating earthquake destroys much of Corinth, killing approximately 45,000 people.

• Jordan Rift Valley Earthquake (December 5, 1033 CE)

  Major earthquake devastates the Jordan Valley, destroying Ramla, Nablus, and Jericho and severely damaging Jerusalem's mosques and churches.

• Aleppo Earthquake (October 11, 1138 CE)

  One of the deadliest medieval earthquakes strikes Aleppo and northern Syria, killing an estimated 230,000 people.

• Syria Earthquake (May 20, 1202 CE)

  Massive earthquake affects the entire eastern Mediterranean, with estimates of 30,000 to over 1,000,000 deaths from the quake, famine, and epidemics.

• Crete Earthquake (August 8, 1303 CE)

  Massive earthquake and tsunami with magnitude ~8.0 destroys the Lighthouse of Alexandria, a Wonder of the Ancient World, and devastates Crete and Egypt.

• Constantinople Earthquake (October 18, 1343 CE)

  Major earthquake hits Constantinople, causing a tsunami that reached 2km inland and caused further damage to the Hagia Sophia.

• Naples Earthquake (December 5, 1456 CE)

  Major earthquake strikes southern Italy, centered near Naples, killing an estimated 30,000–40,000 people.

• Constantinople Earthquake (September 10, 1509 CE)

  Major earthquake known as 'The Lesser Judgment Day' hits Constantinople with magnitude ~7.2, causing a tsunami and 45 days of aftershocks.

• Shaanxi Earthquake (January 23, 1556 CE)

  The deadliest earthquake in recorded history strikes Shaanxi Province, China, killing an estimated 830,000 people.

• Port Royal Earthquake (June 7, 1692 CE)

  Major earthquake and tsunami cause the famous pirate haven of Port Royal, Jamaica to sink into the sea, killing ~2,000.

• Lisbon Earthquake (November 1, 1755 CE)

  Great Lisbon earthquake, fires, and tsunami destroy the city, kill 12,000-50,000 people, and profoundly impact Enlightenment philosophy.

• Near East Earthquakes (October 30 & November 25, 1759 CE)

  A pair of large earthquakes destroy Damascus, Baalbek, and Safed, killing an estimated 40,000 people across the Levant.

• Calabria Earthquakes (February 5, 1783 CE)

  A series of five major earthquakes devastates Calabria in southern Italy, killing approximately 50,000 people.

• New Madrid Earthquakes (1811-1812 CE)

  Series of massive intraplate earthquakes in Missouri changes the course of the Mississippi River and is felt across the continent.

• Aleppo Earthquake (August 13, 1822 CE)

  Major earthquake strikes Aleppo, Syria with magnitude ~7.0, causing extensive destruction and 20,000-60,000 deaths.

• Galilee Earthquake (January 1, 1837 CE)

  Earthquake destroys the cities of Safed and Tiberias in the Galilee, killing several thousand people and causing heavy damage throughout the region.

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