Major earthquakes in history

Pre-20th century
  *Shaanxi Earthquake (1556). Deadliest known earthquake in history, estimated to have killed 830,000 in China.
  *The great Sicilian earthquake (1693). As many as 100,000 may have died.
  *Lisbon earthquake (1755), one of the most destructive and deadly earthquakes in history, killing between 60,000
   and 100,000 people and causing a major tsunami that affected parts of Europe, North Africa and the Caribbean.
20th century
  *San Francisco Earthquake (1906). Between 7.7 and 8.3 magnitudes; killed approximately 3,000 people and caused
   around $400 million in damage; most devastating earthquake in California and U.S. history.
  *Gansu earthquake (1920). Killed 200,000 in Gansu province, China.
  *Ashgabat earthquake (1948). Earthquake in Ashgabat, Soviet Union measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale killed over
   110,000 (2/3 the population of the city)
  *Great Chilean Earthquake(1960). Strongest earthquake ever recorded,9.5 on Moment magnitude scale, and generated
   tsunamis throughout the Pacific ocean. It measured 9.6 on the Richter scale.
  *Great Hanshin earthquake (1995). Killed over 6,400 people in and around Kobe, Japan.
21st century
  *Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake (26 December 2004). By some estimates, the second largest earthquake in recorded 
   history (estimates of magnitude vary between 9.1[16] and 9.3). Epicentered off the coast of the Indonesian
   island of Sumatra, this massive earthquake triggered a series of gigantic tsunamis that smashed onto the shores 
   number of nations, causing 230,000 fatalities.
  *May 12, 2008 earthquake 8.0 magnitude about 60 kilometers northwest of Chengdu in the Sichuan province in 
   China,killed over 65,000 people, expected to soar and China admits quake death toll could exceed 80,000.