Historical eventAugust 161906

1906 Valparaíso earthquake

An earthquake registering approximately 8.2 Mw struck Valparaíso, Chile, killing 3,882 people.

Everything on August 16Original source

In context

When
Thursday, August 16 1906120 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1900s
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 1906.

What happened

An earthquake registering approximately 8.2 Mw struck Valparaíso, Chile, killing 3,882 people.

August 16 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 19061906 Valparaíso earthquake
  2. 2005West Caribbean Airways Flight 708
  3. 2008Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)
  4. 20092009 World Championships in Athletics
  5. 2010AIRES Flight 8250
  6. 2012South African Police Service
  7. 2013MV St. Thomas Aquinas
  8. 2015Trigana Air Flight 267
  9. 2015Douma massacre (2015)
  10. 2015Assassination of Shuja Khanzada
  11. 2020August Complex fire

Also in 1906

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  • March 18Traian VuiaRomanian inventor Traian Vuia became the first person to fly a heavier-than-air monoplane (pictured) with an unassisted takeoff.
  • October 26Illinois MemorialThe Illinois Memorial, honoring Union army soldiers from Illinois who fought at the Siege of Vicksburg, was dedicated at Vicksburg Nation…
  • October 23Alberto Santos-DumontAlberto Santos-Dumont flew his biplane 14-bis for 50 metres (160 ft) at an altitude of about four metres (13 ft).
  • January 22SS ValenciaThe SS Valencia was wrecked off the coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, in a location so treacherous it was known as the Graveyard of the…
  • November 24American footballThe second of two games between two Ohio football teams took place, after which accusations were made that players conspired to deliberat…
  • September 20RMS Mauretania (1906)The ocean liner RMS Mauretania, the largest and fastest ship in the world at the time, was launched in Tyneside, England.
  • December 30All-India Muslim LeagueThe All-India Muslim League, a political party in British India that developed into the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan as…

Everything we record for 1906 →

Sources

Cite this page

“1906 Valparaíso earthquake”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1906-valpara-so-earthquake-1906-august-16, accessed October 28, 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 1906 Valparaíso earthquake happen?

August 16 1906 — 120 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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