1755 Lisbon Earthquake
- When
- 1755
- Where
- Lisbon, Portugal; Lisbon and surrounding coastal areas
- Episodes
- 2
On 1 November 1755, a magnitude 7.7+ earthquake struck the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa at 09:40 local time. The seismic event, combined with fires and a tsunami, devastated Lisbon and surrounding coastal regions.
Episodes
- Earthquake Strike
Magnitude 7.7+ earthquake hits Iberian Peninsula at 09:40 on 1 November 1755.
- Tsunami and Fires
Fires and tsunami follow the earthquake, devastating Lisbon and coastal towns.
Background and detail
Seismic Event. The earthquake occurred on the morning of All Saints' Day, 1 November 1755, at approximately 09:40 local time. Seismologists estimate the moment magnitude at 7.7 or greater, with the epicenter located in the Atlantic Ocean west-southwest of Cape St. Vincent.
Destruction. The initial tremor was followed by fires and a tsunami that almost completely destroyed Lisbon and adjoining areas. Other Portuguese towns, including Peniche, Cascais, and Setúbal, were visibly affected by the earthquake, the tsunami, or both.
People involved
- Marquis of Pombal · Chief Minister
- Manuel da Maia · Chief Engineer
Sources
- 1755 Lisbon earthquake Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-31
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.