Video. Did you know? In 1906, an earthquake devastates San Francisco in the United States

On April 18, 1906, at dawn, a earthquake of an estimated magnitude of 8.2 on the Richter scale violently struck San Francisco. This seismic event, one of the most significant in modern history, devastated the Californian metropolis, not only due to building collapses but especially due to the massive fires that ravaged the city for three consecutive days.

The disaster highlighted the vulnerability of urban infrastructure at the time. Through damage analysis, engineers observed the rupture of water pipelines, rendering firefighters powerless against the flames. The calamity illustrated the end of a certain architectural carelessness, as the city had been constructed on a major fault line, the San Andreas, without adequate safety standards.

In addition to the human and material trauma, this event prompted a shift in seismology and urban planning. It led to the emergence of the first large-scale scientific study on earthquakes and the development of earthquake-resistant building codes. This earthquake became the first example of a natural disaster documented through mass photography, forever marking the memory of the United States. Even today, the Californian city lives in anticipation of the “Big One,” the inevitable major earthquake threatening the region.

On the Front Page of “Sud Ouest” on April 18, 2005

Après le décès de Jean-Paul II, le conclave pour élire un nouveau pape ouvre le 18 avril 2005. Il durera deux jours.

Archives Sud Ouest

To find and view the PDF articles of “Sud Ouest”: [click here](#Context: Images and links might not be clickable.]

On This Day

Saint Parfait – Born in Cordoba (Andalusia), sentenced to death in that city on April 18, 850, for attempting to convert Muslims. The Parfaits are intelligent and determined. Their color: orange. Their number: 7. Quote of the day: “April brings the flower, May has the honor.”

Events on April 18

• 1863 – Jules Verne publishes his first novel “Five Weeks in a Balloon.”
• 1904 – Jean Jaurès founds “l’Humanité.”
• 1955 – Death of physicist Albert Einstein.
• 1966 – Start of the Cultural Revolution in China.
• 1974 – Death of Marcel Pagnol.
• 1986 – Death of Marcel Dassault.
• 2002 – Death of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
• 2015 – First edition of the night marathon in Bordeaux.
• 2024 – The French rugby 7 team is preparing in the Landes for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Birthdays on April 18

• Nadine de Rothschild, French baroness (1932)
• Jean-François Balmer, French actor (1946)
• James Woods, American actor (1947)
• Michaël Levinas, French composer and pianist (1949)
• Laurent Baffie, French humorist (1958)
• Zazie, French singer-songwriter (1964)
• Olivier Besancenot, French politician (1974)