1700 The magnitude 9 Cascadia Earthquake takes place off the west coast of the North America, as evidenced by Japanese records.
1953 The islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia in Greece are severely damaged by an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale.
1975 Haicheng earthquake (magnitude 7.3 on the Richter scale) occurs in Haicheng, Liaoning, China.
1978 An earthquake measuring 7.5 to 7.9 on the Richter scale hits the city of Tabas, Iran killing about 25,000 people.
1979 Indonesia is hit with an earthquake that measures 8.1 on the Richter scale.
1981 An earthquake registering 6.7 on the Richter scale hits Athens, killing 16 people and destroying buildings in several towns west of the city.
1987 The Whittier Narrows earthquake shakes the San Gabriel Valley, registering as magnitude 5.9.
1988 Spitak Earthquake: In Armenia an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale kills nearly 25,000, injures 15,000 and leaves 400,000 homeless.
1989 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) hits the San Francisco Bay Area and causes 57 deaths directly (and 6 indirectly).
1992 An earthquake registering 6.8 on the Richter scale kills over 500 in Erzincan, eastern Turkey.
1993 An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale hits the South Island of New Zealand.
1998 An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hits southeastern Iran.
1998 An earthquake in Slovenia, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale occurs near the town of Bovec.
1999 A 6.0 Richter scale earthquake hits western Colombia killing at least 1,000.
1999 The Düzce earthquake strikes Turkey with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale.
2002 An earthquake measuring 6.5 Mw strikes a region of northwestern Iran killing at least 261 people and injuring 1,300 others and eventually causing widespread public anger due to the slowness of the victims receiving aid and supplies.
2003 A magnitude-8.0 earthquake strikes just offshore Hokkaidō, Japan.