Historical eventNovember 261852

1852 Banda Sea earthquake

A massive earthquake struck the Dutch East Indies, creating a tsunami that washed away villages, ships and residents.

Everything on November 26Original source

In context

When
Friday, November 26 1852174 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1850s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1852.

Type: earthquake.

What happened

The 1852 Banda Sea earthquake struck on 26 November at 07:40 local time, affecting coastal communities on the Banda Islands. It caused violent shaking lasting five minutes, and was assigned XI on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale in the Maluku Islands. A tsunami measuring up to 8 m (26 ft) slammed into the islands of Banda Neira, Saparua, Haruku and Ceram. The tsunami caused major damage, washing away many villages, ships and residents. At least 60 people were killed in the earthquake and tsunami.

November 26 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 18521852 Banda Sea earthquake
  2. 20082008 Mumbai attacks
  3. 2008Queen Elizabeth 2
  4. 20112011 NATO attack in Pakistan
  5. 2011Mars Science Laboratory
  6. 2011Friendly fire
  7. 2011NASA
  8. 2018Uncrewed spacecraft
  9. 20192019 Albania earthquake
  10. 2021COVID-19 pandemic
  11. 2025Wang Fuk Court fire

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Everything we record for 1852 →

Sources

Cite this page

“1852 Banda Sea earthquake”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1852-banda-sea-earthquake-1852-november-26, accessed October 29, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did 1852 Banda Sea earthquake happen?

November 26 1852 — 174 years ago, on a Friday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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