Featured moment · World history
San Francisco earthquake
18 April 1906
A devastating earthquake and subsequent fires destroyed large areas of San Francisco and changed approaches to disaster response and building safety.
What happened?
A major earthquake struck the San Francisco area in the early morning of 18 April 1906. The fires that followed consumed entire neighbourhoods over the next several days.
Why it mattered
The catastrophe caused substantial loss of life and displacement. It remains a landmark event in earthquake science, urban resilience and emergency planning.