The earthquake of May 22, 1960, that struck the town of Valdivia in southern Chile is the most powerful ever recorded and has become known as the Great Chilean Earthquake. It is thought to have measured 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale (MMS).

The "worst" earthquake depends on whether you measure by magnitude or human toll. The largest earthquake ever recorded was the Valdivia Earthquake in Chile on May 22, 1960, which reached a staggering 9.5 magnitude. It caused widespread destruction and a massive tsunami that traveled across the Pacific. However, the deadliest earthquake in history is believed to be the Shaanxi Earthquake in China in 1556. This disaster struck a region where many residents lived in artificial caves (yaodongs) carved into soft silt cliffs; the collapse of these dwellings led to an estimated 830,000 deaths. In the modern era, the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake in China also stands out as one of the deadliest, with an official death toll of over 240,000. These events serve as somber reminders of the immense power of plate tectonics and the critical importance of modern earthquake-resistant engineering in high-risk zones globally.