The 1857 Basilicata earthquake (also known as the Great Neapolitan earthquake) occurred on 16 December in the Basilicata region of Italy southeast of the city of Naples. The epicentre was in Montemurro, on the western border of the modern province of Potenza. Several towns were destroyed, and there were around 11,000 fatalities according to official sources, but unofficial estimates suggest that as many as 19,000 died. At the time it was the third-largest known earthquake and has been estimated to have been of magnitude 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale.
Earthquake in Naples, Italy
The 1857 Basilicata earthquake (also known as the Great Neapolitan earthquake) occurred on 16 December in the Basilicata region of Italy southeast of the city of Naples.
Historical Significance
The 1857 Basilicata earthquake (also known as the Great Neapolitan earthquake) occurred on 16 December in the Basilicata region of Italy southeast of the city of Naples.
Events Before
Colonial Tasmanian Parliament passes the first piece of legislation, the Electoral Act of 1856, anywhere in the world pr
Colonial Tasmanian Parliament passes the first piece of legislation, the Electoral Act of 1856, anywhere in the world providing for elections by way of a secret ballot
Republican Party holds its first national meeting in Pittsburgh
Republican Party holds its first national meeting in Pittsburgh
The Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia sign the Treaty of Paris endin
The Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia sign the Treaty of Paris ending the Crimean War
American industrialist and firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt (41) weds American philanthropist Elizabeth Hart Jarvis (29
American industrialist and firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt (41) weds American philanthropist Elizabeth Hart Jarvis (29) at Christ Episcopal Church in Middleton, Connecticut, until his death in 1862
Mormons leave Iowa City, Iowa, and head west for Salt Lake City, Utah, carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled han
Mormons leave Iowa City, Iowa, and head west for Salt Lake City, Utah, carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled handcarts
Events After
Inventor Cyrus McCormick (48) weds Nancy Fowler
Inventor Cyrus McCormick (48) weds Nancy Fowler
US President Millard Fillmore (58) weds Caroline Carmichael (43) in Albany, New York
US President Millard Fillmore (58) weds Caroline Carmichael (43) in Albany, New York
First vision of the Virgin Mary to 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes, France
The Song of Bernadette (German: Das Lied von Bernadette) is a 1941 novel that tells the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who, from February to July 1858 reported eighteen visions of the Blessed…
Big Ben, a 13.76-tonne bell, is recast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand" accepting Illinois Republican Party's nomination for
Abraham Lincoln says "A house divided against itself cannot stand" accepting Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the Senate
More from the 1850s
birth
Alice Mary Robertson is born
Alice Mary Robertson, American politician, known for american politician, was born on 1854-01-02.
birth
Tim Keefe is born
Tim Keefe, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1857-01-01.
City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line
City of Glasgow steamer inaugurates Philadelphia-Liverpool line
National debt of Britain and Ireland is £765,126,582
National debt of Britain and Ireland is £765,126,582
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on December 16, 1857?
- The 1857 Basilicata earthquake (also known as the Great Neapolitan earthquake) occurred on 16 December in the Basilicata region of Italy southeast of the city of Naples. The epicentre was in Montemurro, on the western border of the modern province of Potenza. Several towns were destroyed, and there were around 11,000 fatalities according to official sources, but unofficial estimates suggest that as many as 19,000 died.
- Why is Earthquake in Naples, Italy significant?
- The 1857 Basilicata earthquake (also known as the Great Neapolitan earthquake) occurred on 16 December in the Basilicata region of Italy southeast of the city of Naples.