Top 10 Biggest Earthquakes ever Recorded

1Valdivia, Chile, 1960 — Magnitude 9.5

Chile holds the record with the magnitude 9.5 Valdivia earthquake of May 22, 1960. It devastated southern Chile and generated a tsunami that crossed the Pacific.

Deadly waves reached Hawaii and Japan, thousands of kilometers away. Among the largest earthquakes ever recorded, this event remains the clearest reminder that a single rupture can suddenly have worldwide consequences.