Strongest earthquakes that hit the globe

By The Associated Press The Associated Press – Sat Feb 27, 4:54 am ET

from: Yahoo News 

Here is a list of deadly earthquakes that registered at least an 8.5 magnitude, not including the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central Chile early Saturday.

• May 22, 1960: A magnitude 9.5 earthquake in southern Chile and ensuing tsunami killed at least 1,716 people.
• March 27, 1964: A magnitude 9.2 quake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and ensuing tsunami killed 128 people.
• Dec. 26, 2004: A magnitude 9 quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 12 countries, including 165,700 in Indonesia and 35,400 in Sri Lanka.
• August 13, 1868: A magnitude 9.0 quake in Arica, Peru (now Chile) generated catastrophic tsunamis; more than 25,000 people were killed in South America.
• January 31, 1906: A magnitude 8.8 quake off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia generated a tsunami that killed at least 500 people.
• November 1, 1755: A magnitude 8.7 quake and ensuing tsunami in Lisbon, Portugal killed an estimated 60,000 people and destroyed much of Lisbon.
• July 8, 1730: A magnitude 8.7 quake in Valparasio, Chile, killed at least 3,000 people.
• August 15, 1950: A magnitude 8.6 earthquake in Assam, Tibet, killed at least 780 people.
• June 15, 1896: A magnitude 8.5 quake Sanriku, Japan, caused a tsunami that killed at least 22,000 people.
• November 11, 1922: A magnitude 8.5 quake on the Chile-Argentina border killed several hundred people.
• November 7, 1837: A magnitude 8.5 magnitude quake in Valdivia, Chile generated a tsunami that killed at least 58 people in Hawaii.
• October 20, 1687: A magnitude 8.5 quake in Lima, Peru destroyed much of the city.
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Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology and WHO's International Disaster Database

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