• 856

  200,000 people are killed in one of the deadliest earthquakes in history in Damghan, Iran.

• 1138

  An earthquake in Aleppo, Syria kills 230,000

• 1556

  The deadliest earthquake in history hits Shensi province in China. Almost 1 million people are killed.

• 1755

  The most serious earthquake in Europe hits Lisbon, Portugal. The whole city is destroyed. About 70,000 people get killed.

• 1906

  The city of San Francisco is hit by a large earthquake. A big fire destroys most of the city. About 500 people die.

• 1908

  Messina, Sicily is totally destroyed by a large earthquake . About 70,000 people are killed.

• 1923

  Tokyo, Japan is destroyed by an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 . 150,000 people are killed.

• 1960

  The strongest earthquake ever recorded hits Chile. It reaches 9.5 on the Richter scale. 20,000 people die.

• 1964

  The strongest earthquake in North America hits Anchorage Alaska. Ocean waves reach a height of 20 metres. 200 people are killed.

• 1976

  The biggest earthquake ever recorded in China leaves 242,000 people dead.

• 2004

  Indian Ocean earthquake followed by a tsunami that kills 250 000 people.

• 2010

  160 000 people die in an earthquake on Haiti.

• 2011

  A 9.1 earthquake - the strongest ever recorded in Japan - hits the country's east coast and causes the Fukushima nuclear disaster