Lisbon Earthquake

Date: March 31, 1761 • Location: Porto Santo, Portugal

Lisbon experienced its second major earthquake in six years, with effects felt as far north as Scotland.

The 1761 Lisbon earthquake struck off the coast of Portugal on 31 March 1761 at 12:05 Western European Time (WET). Estimated to be around 8.5 on the tsunami magnitude scale, the earthquake was the strongest in the region since 1755, and it was felt across many parts of western Europe. Twenty-five people were killed including several people who died from rockfalls in Madeira and collapsed homes at a village near Porto. In Lisbon, the earthquake destroyed several old homes and remaining ruins from the earlier disaster, although no one was killed. The earthquake generated a tsunami that struck the coasts of Portugal, Spain, England, Sicily, the Azores and Barbados, but did not cause damage.