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On this day: 31 December

The deadliest recorded disaster on 31 December was the 1899 magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Turkey, which killed 247 people.

Historic disasters

20

Recorded deaths

254

Eruptions began

56

Major events since 1900

20

Disasters on 31 December in history

Damaging earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions from the NOAA Natural Hazards database, deadliest first.

  • M5.6 earthquake, Turkey

    31 December 1899Turkey247 killed

  • Gamalama eruption (VEI 2)

    31 December 1962Indonesia5 killed5 injured

  • Merapi eruption (VEI 2)

    31 December 1986Indonesia1 killed

  • M5.5 earthquake, Kato-Makrinou

    31 December 1975Greece1 killed10 injured

  • M5.2 earthquake, Dametsi

    31 December 2009Bhutan2 injured

  • M4.1 earthquake, Budapest

    31 December 2006Hungary

  • M5.3 earthquake, Guangxi Province, Guandong Province

    31 December 1994China360 injured1,100 homes destroyed

  • M7.8 earthquake, Santa Cruz Islands

    31 December 1966Solomon IslandsTriggered a tsunami

  • M7.2 earthquake, Santa Cruz Islands

    31 December 1966Solomon IslandsTriggered a tsunami

  • M5.0 earthquake, Hebei Province

    31 December 1956China

  • M7.1 earthquake, Baja,Imperial Valley

    31 December 1934USA

  • Tsunami, Folkstone, England

    31 December 1911UKWaves up to 0.9 m

  • Tsunami, Caspian Sea

    31 December 1902Azerbaijan

  • M7.8 earthquake, Aleutian Islands: Fox Islands

    31 December 1901USATriggered a tsunami

  • M7.9 earthquake, Andaman I,Nicobar I

    31 December 1881IndiaTriggered a tsunami

  • Earthquake, Robador,Simacota,Barichara de Cabrera

    31 December 1868Colombia

  • Tsunami, Tasmania

    31 December 1852AustraliaWaves up to 1.2 m

  • Earthquake, Norfolk

    31 December 1816USA

  • Earthquake, Oaxaca, Mixteca

    31 December 1603Mexico

  • Gamkonora eruption (VEI 3)

    31 December 1564Indonesia

Major events from our live records

Big earthquakes and major disasters on 31 December in recent decades.

Eruptions that began on 31 December

From the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program eruption record.

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