1. Home
  2. Education
  3. 20th Century History
1906 San Francisco Earthquake
Guide picks
At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a large earthquake hit San Francisco. Even greater than the damage caused directly by the earthquake, the city was ravaged by fire for four days. Learn more about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through these great resources.

About.com: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
A great overview of the great quake that hit San Francisco on April 18, 1906.

Great 1906 Earthquake and Fire Best of the Net
An amazing resource from the Museum of the City of San Francisco that includes a vast collection of eyewitness reports, newspaper articles, photographs, a timeline, recovery efforct information, and official reports on the earthquake.

Before and After: Early Films of San Francisco
Several of the 26 silent films in this collection are movies shot in the aftermath of the earthquake; they're truly fascinating glimpses of the devastation.

California Earthquake of April 18, 1906
A collection of over three dozen earthquake photographs.

Damage Photographs: San Francisco 1906
Three fantastic pages of photographs of quake damage - be sure to see page three and the classic photograph of the inverted statue of Louis Agassiz.

Great Shake: San Francisco 1906
A 14-page synopsis of the earthquake - a great overview that includes facts and first-person accounts. Be sure to see the last page and its Quicktime photo of the city ablaze.

How the 1906 Earthquake Shook Up Jewish Life Here
This 1996 article from the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, provides additional insight into the effects of the earthquake.

Jack London's Journalism: The Story of an Eyewitness
Jack London's famous report about the earthquake, published in Collier's on May 5, 1906.

Map of San Francisco, California
This scanned U.S. Army map from 1906 shows the limits of the burned area that were destroyed following the earthquake.

Map of the Intensity of the 1906 Quake
A map from USGS that shows the Isoseismals from the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

2  Next 

Explore 20th Century History

More from About.com

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. 20th Century History

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.