San Francisco Earthquake

At 5:12 AM on 18 April 1906, an earthquake shook the Northern California coast. Between the violent shaking and widespread fires, over 80% of San Francisco was destroyed and close to 3,000 residents were killed. The San Francisco Earthquake is now remembered as one of the worst natural disasters in United States history. The following documents include information about the initial earthquake, the subsequent fires, and information about earthquake magnitudes.