1556 Shaanxi Earthquake

At 5 a.m. on 23 January 1556, a magnitude 7.9–8.0 earthquake struck Huaxian County in Shaanxi Province during the Ming Dynasty, killing approximately 830,000 people — roughly 60% of the region's population. This death toll surpasses the 500,000 killed by the 1970 Bhola Cyclone (ranked #4) by 66%, making it the deadliest earthquake in recorded human history. The earthquake collapsed yaodong cave dwellings carved into soft loess hillsides, burying entire families as they slept. Surface ruptures, landslides, floods, and fires continued for months, and aftershocks were felt for half a year. Seismic models estimate that 90% of the collapse-related fatalities occurred within the first 60 seconds.