There are many dates throughout history that we would like to erase from the books. Extremely destructive events that lead to the loss of thousands or even millions of lives and human tragedies due to natural disasters, wars or epidemics. But if we stick to the biggest disaster in 24 hours, then we need to take guns and wars out of the equation. This happened in China in 1556 and nothing like this had ever happened before.

Destiny days. Unfortunately there are many, but it’s worth clarifying one thing before we continue. Due to the magnitude of all these events, the figures are approximate, estimates that in no case can be understood as a total, but they have allowed us to classify the magnitude of the destruction that occurred. For example, although the Battle of Stalingrad was one of the deadliest battles and many days were particularly bloody, this fight cannot make the list of the first 24 hours.

Hiroshima does this. It is estimated that between 70 thousand and 80 thousand people died (almost) on the same day, and between 40 thousand and 75 thousand people died in Nagasaki. Approximate deaths in a single day in the Battle of Borodino were 70 thousand. Regardless, none of these scenarios even come close to what happened in China on January 23, 1556.

Death in Shaanxi. The events of that day mainly affected the densely populated areas of the Ming Empire. Since there were no seismic measuring devices at that time, the exact magnitude of the earthquake is unknown. However, current geologists estimate its magnitude to be approximately 8.0/8.3 on the Richter scale.

Moreover, the earthquake occurred in the early hours of January 23, increasing the sensitivity of the population sleeping at that time. Reports from the time indicate that the earthquake was extremely powerful and caused major destruction in cities, towns and villages covering an area of ​​more than 500,000 square kilometers.

Landslides. This was the key to misfortune. Later studies showed that one of the most destructive features of the earthquake was the liquefaction of the ground of the Weinan and Huashan faults. Why? Many houses and structures were located in mountainous areas or on river terraces, where the ground became unstable during earthquakes, causing landslides and the collapse of large sections of mountains. Hills collapsed and lumps of earth destroyed entire villages, burying thousands of people.

Cave dwellings are another factor. Another important actor that played against the population was the type of construction that dominated the region. In and around Shaanxi, people mostly lived in cave houses known as “yaodong”. These houses were dug into hills and mountains, making them particularly vulnerable to collapse if the surrounding land was torn apart by an earthquake.

In fact, it is estimated that almost all of these yaodong residents died instantly when the houses collapsed, trapping people inside. In many rural areas where such housing predominated, the loss of life was almost total. The estimate in the first minutes of the earthquake speaks of up to 300,000 deaths.

The worst earthquake. There is no doubt that this is the deadliest natural disaster recorded in a single day in human history. Records of the time document that “up to 60% of homes were destroyed and countless deaths occurred in every district of Shaanxi province.” Official figures state that approximately 830,000 people died that day, representing approximately 30% of the total population of the affected areas at the time.

It also left deep lessons about construction in “critical” areas. Although seismic building standards did not exist in the 16th century, the disaster revealed the vulnerability of some structures, such as cave houses. Over time these teachings influenced the planning of future cities and settlements in China, but it was not until centuries later that they began to be effectively implemented.

Numbers and predictions. Ironically, the Shaanxi earthquake was nowhere near the strongest earthquake we’ve ever experienced. But keep in mind that in 1556 the world population was less than 500 million; thus the death toll in Shaanxi almost certainly represents the largest relative human toll in a single day. It should also hold the record for the highest absolute number of deaths, although here it is always more difficult to say precisely on which date the greatest loss of life occurred.

For reference, the second deadliest earthquake occurred in 1976, also in China, killing approximately 655,000 people. The deadliest day of the wars is believed to have occurred on the night of March 9-10, 1945, when an American bombing raid called Operation Meeting House killed 100,000 people in Tokyo. Finally, the Yangtze-Huai River floods of 1931 are often cited as the greatest natural disaster in history. It also occurred in China, where it is estimated that more than two million people died in just four months.

Image | Pickpik, Public domain

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