Historic Earthquakes
Lisbon, Portugal
1755 November 01 10:16 UTC
Magnitude 8.7
This earthquake occurred on All Saint's Day
while many of the 250,000 inhabitants of Lisbon were in Church.
Stone buildings swayed violently and then collapsed on the population.
Many who sought safety on the river front were drowned
by a large tsunami.
Fire ravaged the city. One quarter of Lisbon's population perished.
This earthquake had a profound effect on the intellectual outlook of Europe.
