1964 Alaska earthquake
The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, happened at 5:36 PM AKST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964. Across south-central Alaska (mainly in Anchorage), ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis were caused by the earthquake. It caused about 139 deaths.
The earthquake lasted four minutes and thirty-eight seconds. It was a magnitude 9.2 earthquake. It remains the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history, and the second most powerful earthquake recorded in world history.
Nearby, a 27-foot (8.2 m) tsunami destroyed the village of Chenega, killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there. Post-quake tsunamis severely affected Whittier, Seward, Kodiak, and other Alaskan communities, as well as people and property in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California.