HISTORIC ARTICLE
HISTORIC ARTICLE
May 22, 1960 CE: Valdivia Earthquake Strikes Chile
May 22, 1960 CE: Valdivia Earthquake Strikes Chile
On May 22, 1960, the largest earthquake in recorded history—magnitude 9.5—struck southern Chile.
Grades
9 - 12
Subjects
Earth Science, Geology
Loading ...
On May 22, 1960, the most powerful earthquake in recorded history—magnitude 9.5—struck southern Chile. Estimates were the rupture zone stretched anywhere from 500 kilometers (311 miles) to almost 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) along the country’s coast. The event was named after the city most affected by the quake, Valdivia.
The Valdivia earthquake left two million people homeless, injured at least 3,000, and killed approximately 1,655. The economic damage totaled $550 million (more than $4.8 billion, adjusted for 2020 inflation).
The Valdivia earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that raced across the Pacific. Waves wracked coastal communities as far away as New Zealand, Japan, and the Philippines. In Hawai'i, the tsunami devastated the coastal town of Hilo, killing 61 people.
Credits
Media Credits
The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.
Editor
Producer
other
Last Updated
October 19, 2023
User Permissions
For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.
Media
If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.
Text
Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.
Interactives
Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.