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Strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake then recorded at 8.8 on the Richter Scale, occurs off the coast of Ecuador

Strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake then recorded at 8.8 on the Richter Scale, occurs off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia killing over 1,00 people

The 1942 Ecuador earthquake or the Guayaquil earthquake occurred on 13 May at 21:13 ECT with a moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.8–7.9. The earthquake had an epicenter near the coast of Manabí Province, Ecuador. It killed more than 300 people and the total cost of damage was about US$2.5 million. At Guayaquil, 250 km (160 mi) from the epicenter, many reinforced concrete structures in the city were destroyed and high-rise buildings collapsed. At least 100 fatalities were recorded in the city.

The earthquake was caused by movement on a section of the Ecuador–Colombia subduction zone, a seismically active area where the Nazca plate subducts beneath the overriding South American plate.

Historical Significance

The 1942 Ecuador earthquake or the Guayaquil earthquake occurred on 13 May at 21:13 ECT with a moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.

Events Before

  1. Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a c

    Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a convention in Chicago in June and laying the groundwork for the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

  2. A large demonstration of workers in St Petersburg, Russia, led by Father Gapon, marches to the Winter Palace with a peti

    A large demonstration of workers in St Petersburg, Russia, led by Father Gapon, marches to the Winter Palace with a petition to the Tsar; troops fire on the protesters in what becomes known as Bloody Sunday

  3. General officer John J. Pershing (44) weds Helen Frances

    General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was an American army general, educator, and founder of the Pershing Rifles.

  4. Albert Einstein finishes his scientific paper detailing his quantum theory of light, a foundation of modern physics

    Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist best known for developing the theory of relativity.

  5. Eleanor Roosevelt (20) marries Franklin D. Roosevelt (23) later 32nd US President in New York, & given away by her uncle

    Eleanor Roosevelt (20) marries Franklin D. Roosevelt (23) later 32nd US President in New York, & given away by her uncle, 26th President Theodore Roosevelt

Events After

  1. Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing

    Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing title with an 8th-round knockout in Tonopah, Nevada

  2. American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (24) weds Bess Fosburgh in Boston, Massachusetts

    American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (24) weds Bess Fosburgh in Boston, Massachusetts

  3. Author Arthur Conan Doyle (48) weds Jean Elizabeth Leckie

    Author Arthur Conan Doyle (48) weds Jean Elizabeth Leckie

  4. Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, C

    Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada and Clifden, Ireland

  5. A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to a nationwide run on US banks and the Panic of 1907

    A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to a nationwide run on US banks and the Panic of 1907

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 31, 1906?
The 1942 Ecuador earthquake or the Guayaquil earthquake occurred on 13 May at 21:13 ECT with a moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.8–7.9. The earthquake had an epicenter near the coast of Manabí Province, Ecuador. It killed more than 300 people and the total cost of damage was about US$2.5 million.
Why is Strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake then recorded at 8.8 on the Rich... significant?
The 1942 Ecuador earthquake or the Guayaquil earthquake occurred on 13 May at 21:13 ECT with a moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.

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January 31 in HistoryYear 1906