1556 Shaanxi Earthquake, China

The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake remains the deadliest earthquake in recorded history, with an estimated 830,000 dead, which is 63% higher than the runner-up Tangshan Earthquake (1976). The catastrophe occurred on 23 January 1556 when the densely populated loess plateau collapsed. Residents lived in yaodong—cave dwellings carved into soft cliffs—that completely buckled under the tremors. The quake caused subsidence exceeding 20 meters across 840 square kilometers, an area larger than New York City. Ground acceleration reached 0.6 g, surpassing the 0.4 g recorded for the 2010 Haiti earthquake, intensifying the destruction in this historically unique disaster.