The largest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude 9.5 in Chile back in 1960.

On May 22, 1960, the most powerful earthquake in recorded history—magnitude 9.5—struck southern Chile. The rupture zone stretched from estimates ranging from 500 kilometers (311 miles) to almost 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) along the country’s coast. The event was named after the city most affected by the quake, Valdivia.

The quake left about 2 million people homeless.

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