Historical eventAugust 311886

1886 Charleston earthquake

The 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake struck southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 60 people and causing damage worth an estimated $5–6 million.

Everything on August 31Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, August 31 1886140 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1880s
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 1886.

What happened

The 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake struck southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing 60 people and causing damage worth an estimated $5–6 million.

August 31 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 18861886 Charleston earthquake
  2. 1999Líneas Aéreas Privadas Argentinas
  3. 2002Typhoon Rusa
  4. 20052005 Al-Aimmah Bridge disaster
  5. 2006Edvard Munch
  6. 2010The Bill
  7. 2016Dilma Rousseff
  8. 20192019 Alta helicopter crash
  9. 20242024 Kamchatka Mil Mi-8 crash
  10. 20252025 Tarasin landslide
  11. 20252025 Kunar earthquake

Also in 1886

  • June 26Henri MoissanFrench chemist Henri Moissan successfully isolated elemental fluorine (pictured in liquid state), for which he later won the Nobel Prize…
  • May 4Labour movementDuring a labor rally in Chicago, a bomb explosion and gunfire led to the deaths of eight police officers and four members of the public.
  • September 4United States ArmyAfter more than 25 years of fighting against the United States Army and the armed forces of Mexico, Geronimo of the Chiricahua Apache sur…
  • June 2Wedding of Grover Cleveland and Frances FolsomThe wedding of Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom (wedding depicted) took place in the White House, in the only time that a U.S. preside…
  • December 11Association footballThe London-based football club Arsenal, then known as Dial Square, played their first match on the Isle of Dogs.
  • February 23Charles Martin HallAmerican inventor Charles Martin Hall discovered an inexpensive method of producing aluminium.
  • October 28New York HarborIn New York Harbor, U.S. president Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty (pictured), a gift from France commemorating the Decl…
  • June 10Mount TaraweraMount Tarawera, a volcano in New Zealand's North Island, erupted (depicted), killing around 120 people and creating the Waimangu Volcanic…

Everything we record for 1886 →

Sources

Cite this page

“1886 Charleston earthquake”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1886-charleston-earthquake-1886-august-31, 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 1886 Charleston earthquake happen?

August 31 1886 — 140 years ago, on a Tuesday.

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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