April 18 in History
1906 – An earthquake and fire destroy much of San Francisco, California
At 05:12 Pacific Standard Time on this day in 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). High-intensity shaking was felt from Eureka on the North Coast to the Salinas Valley, an agricultural region to the south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Devastating fires soon broke out in San Francisco and lasted for several days. More than 3,000 people died, and over 80% of the city was destroyed. The event is remembered as the deadliest earthquake in the history of the United States. The death toll remains the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in California’s history and high on the lists of American disasters.
-Wikipedia
Photo Caption San Francisco Earthquake of 1906: Ruins in vicinity of Post and Grant Avenue. Looking northeast – Wikipedia
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