The strongest earthquake ever recorded was the 1960 Valdivia earthquake in Chile, with a magnitude of 9.5. It is also commonly called the Great Chilean earthquake.

Quick Scoop

  • Date: May 22, 1960.
  • Location: Near Valdivia, Chile.
  • Magnitude: 9.5, the largest ever documented in modern records.
  • Impact: It caused a massive tsunami and widespread destruction in Chile, with deaths estimated in the thousands.

Why it stands out

Earthquake magnitude measures the energy released, so a 9.5 quake is extraordinarily larger than most major earthquakes people hear about. The 1960 event remains the top entry on major official and historical lists.

Nearby records

  • 1964 Alaska earthquake: magnitude 9.2.
  • 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake: magnitude 9.1.
  • 2011 Tōhoku, Japan earthquake: magnitude 9.1.

The 1960 Chile quake is still the benchmark for the strongest recorded earthquake, even though different sources may phrase the exact magnitude slightly differently as 9.4 to 9.6 depending on later analyses.