On this day, April 18 in
1906 at 5:13 a.m., an earthquake estimated at close to 8.0
on the Richter scale struck San Francisco, California, killing
hundreds of people as it toppled numerous buildings. The quake was
caused by a slip of the San Andreas Fault over a segment about 275
miles long, and shock waves could be felt from southern Oregon down
to Los Angeles.
By April 23, most fires were extinguished, and authorities commenced
the task of rebuilding the devastated city. It was estimated that
3,000 people died as a result. Almost 30,000 buildings were
destroyed, including most of the city's homes and nearly all the
central business district.