Deadliest Earthquakes on Record
(50,000 deaths or more)
 

Date             Location                   Deaths             Magnitude
Jan. 23, 1556 Shansi, China             830,000       n.a.
July 27, 1976 Tangshan, China       255,000       8.0
Aug. 9, 1138 Aleppo, Syria             230,000       n.a.
May 22, 1927 near Xining, China       200,000       8.3
Dec. 22, 8562 Damghan, Iran             200,000       n.a.
Dec. 16, 1920 Gansu, China             200,000       8.6
March 23, 8932 Ardabil, Iran             150,000       n.a.
Sept. 1, 1923 Kwanto, Japan             143,000       8.3
Oct. 5, 1948 Ashgabat,  USSR       110,000       7.3
Dec. 28, 1908 Messina, Italy             70 - 100,000 7.5
Sept. 1290       Chihli, China             100,000       n.a.
Nov. 1667       Shemakha, Caucasia 80,000             n.a.
Nov. 18, 1727 Tabriz, Iran                   77,000             n.a.
Nov. 1, 1755 Lisbon, Portugal       70,000             8.7
Dec. 25, 1932 Gansu, China             70,000             7.6
May 31, 1970 Peru                         66,000             7.8
Jan. 11, 1693 Sicily, Italy                   60,000             n.a.
May 30, 1935 Quetta, Pakistan       30,000-60,000 7.5
Feb. 4, 1783 Calabria, Italy             50,000             n.a.
June 20, 1990 Iran                               50,000             7.7
1. Official. Estimated death toll as high as 655,000.
2. Note that these dates are prior to A.D. 1000. No digit is missing.
3. Estimated.
4. No date available.
Source: National Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey. Data compiled from several sources.