silly timeline

  • 1808 BCE

    Mount Tambora

    The largest eruption in recorded history. Released so much ash into the atmosphere that it caused the “Year Without a Summer” in 1816, leading to global crop failures and famine.
  • Cape Yakataga Earthquake

    Another very strong quake in the Gulf of Alaska, occurring just days before the Yakutat Bay quake.
  • Yakutat Bay Earthquake

    Historic quake near Yakutat Bay, Alaska. Caused major uplift and damage in the Gulf of Alaska region.
  • Shumagin Islands Earthquake

    Another large Alaskan quake, showing the long history of seismic hazards in the region.
  • Aleutian Islands Earthquake and Tsunami

    The quake generated a Pacific-wide tsunami that struck Hawaii, killing over 150 people and damaging Hilo
  • Andreanof Islands Earthquake

    This quake struck the Aleutian arc, shaking islands and producing widespread aftershocks. It reinforced how active Alaska’s seismic zones are
  • Great Alaska Earthquake

    The largest earthquake in U.S. history. It caused landslides, ground failure, and tsunamis that destroyed communities in Alaska and reached as far as California.
  • Lituya Bay Earthquake & Mega-Tsunami

    Triggered a massive landslide that created the tallest tsunami wave ever recorded (over 1,700 feet high) in Lituya Bay, Alaska.
  • Rat Islands Earthquake

    A strong quake in Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands. It created a tsunami, but the region’s low population limited destruction.
  • Andreanof Islands Earthquake

    A more recent quake in the Aleutian chain, still one of the strongest ever recorded in the U.S.