Top 5 strongest earthquakes since 1900: Where does Russia’s 8.8‑Magnitude terrifying quake rank in the all-time list?

A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake rocked Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30 2025, triggering tsunami alerts across the Pacific. It sent waves that reached Japan, Hawaii, and the U.S. West Coast, though thankfully, damage and injuries have been limited so far. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this quake is the most powerful to hit since Japan’s devastating 2011 Tohoku event. Since seismographs have been used (starting around 1900), only a handful of earthquakes have been measured higher.

Here’s how the top five stack up, and where today’s quake ranks among the strongest ever recorded.


According to USGS data and multiple expert sources (FactMonster, Guardian), here are the five largest recorded quakes by magnitude:
1. Valdivia, Chile (May 22, 1960) – Magnitude 9.5 perfect storm. The strongest recorded quake ever, it triggered an enormous tsunami that killed over 1,600 and devastated coastal towns across the Pacific.

2. Prince William Sound, Alaska (March 27, 1964) – Magnitude 9.2–9.3. Known as the Good Friday Earthquake. Caused massive landslides and tsunami waves up to 67 m high, killing over 130 people and causing huge flooding.

3. Sumatra, Indonesia (Dec 26, 2004) – Magnitude 9.1–9.3. The deadly Indian Ocean quake triggered a tsunami responsible for around 230,000 deaths across countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

4. Tohoku, Japan (March 11, 2011) – Magnitude 9.0–9.1. One of the most devastating in recent memory. It caused a massive tsunami and triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, killing over 18,000 people.

5. Severo‑Kurilsk, Kamchatka, Russia (Nov 4, 1952) – Magnitude 9.0. A major tsunami hit local settlements and even reached Hawaii, though fatalities were reportedly low compared to the scale.


Today’s 8.8‑magnitude quake off Kamchatka now ranks just outside the all‑time top five (at 6th position), tying with two other notable events: the 2010 Chile Maule quake (8.8) and the 1906 Ecuador–Colombia quake (also around 8.8).


It is the strongest recorded since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, underscoring its rarity. Experts emphasise that only a handful of quakes have ever measured above 9.0, and today’s event marks a rare and significant seismic milestone.


All of these top earthquakes occurred along tectonic subduction zones, the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where one crustal plate dives beneath another, leading to powerful megathrust quakes. Events like the 1960 Chile and 2011 Japan earthquakes reshaped global standards for tsunami warning systems and building codes, saving lives in subsequent disasters.


The new Russia earthquake serves as a reminder of the ongoing seismic hazard in these active zones and highlights the importance of preparation and rapid forecasting.