1868 Arica earthquake

Historical eventAugust 131868

1868 Arica earthquake

A major earthquake near Arica, Peru (now in Chile), caused an estimated 25,000 casualties; the subsequent tsunami caused considerable damage as far away as Hawaii and New Zealand.

Everything on August 13Original source
Photo: USMC Archives from Quantico, USA · CC BY 2.0

In context

When
Thursday, August 13 1868158 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1860s
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 1868.

What happened

The 1868 Arica earthquake occurred on 13 August 1868, near Arica, then part of Peru, now part of Chile, at 21:30 UTC. It had an estimated magnitude between 8.8 and 9.1, although earlier studies suggested a broader range of 8.5–9.3. A tsunami in the Pacific Ocean was produced by the earthquake, which was recorded in Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

August 13 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 18681868 Arica earthquake
  2. 1990Min Ping Yu No. 5202
  3. 1997South Park
  4. 1999Act on National Flag and Anthem
  5. 2004Tropical Storm Bonnie (2004)
  6. 2004Democratic Republic of the Congo
  7. 2008Russo-Georgian War
  8. 2010MV Sun Sea incident
  9. 2014Cessna Citation Excel
  10. 20152015 Sadr City market truck bombing
  11. 2020Israel–United Arab Emirates relations

Also in 1868

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  • February 24Andrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson became the first U.S. president to be impeached.
  • May 14Boshin WarBoshin War: Troops of the Tokugawa shogunate withdrew from the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle and retreated north towards Nikkō and Aizu.
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Everything we record for 1868 →

Sources

Cite this page

“1868 Arica earthquake”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1868-arica-earthquake-1868-august-13, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did 1868 Arica earthquake happen?

August 13 1868 — 158 years ago, on a Thursday.

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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