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. 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. It remains the deadliest earthquake in recorded human history.