Major earthquakes throughout history in pictures. Statistics from The Geological Society of London.
1939: Turkey (Erzincan). Richter scale: 8.0, Deaths: 36,740, Cost ($m): 20
1906: USA (California, San Francisco). Richter scale: 7.8, Deaths: 3,000, Cost ($m): 524
1908: Italy (Messina). Richter scale: 7.5, Deaths: 25,926, Cost: ($m) 116
1923: Japan (Tokyo-Yokohama). Richter scale: 8.3, Deaths: 142,800, Cost ($m): 2,800
1936: Pakistan (Quetta). Richter scale: 7.5, Deaths: 35,000, Cost ($m): 25
1939: Chile (Concepcion). Richter scale: 8.3, Deaths: 28,000, Cost ($m): 100
1960: Morocco (Agadir). Richter scale: 5.9, Deaths: 12,000, Cost ($m): 120
1970: Peru (Chimbote). Richter scale: 7.7, Deaths: 67,000, Cost ($m): 550
1976: China (Tangshan). Richter scale: 8.0, Deaths: 290,000, Cost ($m): 5,600
1976: Guatemala (Guatemala City). Richter scale: 7.5, Deaths: 22,084, Cost ($m): 1,100
1985: Mexico (Mexico City). Richter scale: 8.1, Deaths: 10,000, Cost ($m): 4,000
1988: Armenia (Spitak). Richter scale: 6.9, Deaths: 25,000 Cost ($m): 14,000
1989: USA (California, San Francisco). Richter Scale: 7.0, Deaths: 68, Cost ($m): 6,000
July 1990, Baguio City, Philippines. Deaths about 5000.
1995: Japan (Kobe). Richter scale: 7.2, Deaths: 6348, Cost ($m): 200,000
1999: Turkey (Kocaeli). Richter scale: 7.4, Deaths: 19,118, Cost ($m): 20,000
2004: Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Richter scale: 9.2, Deaths: 230,000
2008: Sichuan Province. Richter scale: 8.0, Deaths: 68,000, Cost ($m): 20,000
2010: Chile (Maule Region). Richter scale: 8.8, Deaths: 486
2011: Japan. Richter scale: 8.9.