This Day in History: 1556-01-23

In 1556 an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2 hit Shaanxi Province in China Killing an estimated 830,000 people.

In some cities, every building was destroyed and several crevasses up to 60ft deep opened up throughout the Province.  This death toll makes it the deadliest earthquake ever recorded.

The destruction spanned an area of approximately 520 miles (840 kilometers). Entire towns and cities were reduced to rubble, and the effects of the earthquake were felt over an area of 97 counties. In some places, rivers changed course, and the landscape was permanently altered. Survivors described dramatic ground fissures, landslides, and structural collapses that annihilated entire communities.

Beyond the immediate destruction, the disaster had profound long-term consequences. Infrastructure was obliterated, agricultural systems were disrupted, and survivors faced famine and disease in the aftermath.