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World's biggest earthquakes since 1900

RELATED TOPICS
  • Earthquakes
  • Chile

(CNN) -- The earthquake that struck Japan on Friday, March 11, is not only the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in at least 100 years, but also one of the most powerful earthquakes recorded worldwide since 1900.

The biggest quake recorded since 1900 hit the coast of southern Chile on May 22, 1960. The 9.5-magnitude quake killed more than 1,600 and left about 2 million people homeless.

The deadliest quake since 1900 occurred in Tangshan, China on July 27, 1976. The magnitude 7.5 quake had an official death toll of 255,000, with estimates as high as 655,000.