2008 an earthquake measuring around 8
2592�1944
2008 18 years ago Historical Events May 12 2 sources

An earthquake (measuring around 8.0 magnitude) occurs in Sichuan, China, killing over 69,000 people.

On May 12, in the year 2008, An earthquake (measuring around 8.0 magnitude) occurs in Sichuan, China, killing over 69,000 people. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of May 12, a notable event in this corner of history.

An earthquake occurred in the province of Sichuan, China at 14:28:01 China Standard Time on May 12, 2008. Measuring at 8.0 Ms, the earthquake's epicenter was located 80 kilometres (50 mi) west-northwest of Chengdu, the provincial capital, with a focal depth of 19 km (12 mi). The earthquake ruptured the fault for over 240 km (150 mi), with surface displacements of several meters. The earthquake was also felt as far away as Beijing and Shanghai—1,500 and 1,700 km away, respectively—where office buildings swayed with the tremor, as well as Bangkok, Thailand and Hanoi, Vietnam. Strong aftershocks, some exceeding 6 Ms, continued to hit the area up to several months after the main shock, causing further casualties and damage. The earthquake also caused the largest number of geohazards ever recorded, including about 200,000 landslides and more than 800 quake lakes distributed over an area of 110,000 km2 (42,000 sq mi).

Key Facts

  • This event took place on May 12, 2008 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
  • The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 5 May 2026.

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This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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