1755: The Lisbon Earthquake (2009)

The great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 was the first great natural disaster to strike the heart of a large European city. For six minutes the earth shook, bringing down churches, palaces, and thousands of houses. After a 15-meter-high tsunami submerged the lower city, fires broke out and wrought more damage. The earthquake that laid waste to Portugal's capital city Lisbon on 1 November 1755 shook th...