11 Biggest Earthquakes around the World

3. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

58 minutes past midnight on December 26^th, the entire planet was shaken by one of the strongest earthquakes in history. With a magnitude of 9.3 and duration of 10 minutes – the longest duration ever recorded – it send Tsunami waves of up to 30 meters (100 feet) at speeds in excess of 600 miles per hour towards the densely inhabited coast of Indian Ocean countries. Indonesia was hit the hardest, together with India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Due to the lack of Tsunami warning system in Indian Ocean, people on shore were taken by surprise once the monstrous wave slammed into the land, killing the total of 280,000 people in 15 affected countries. The entire world came together and donated more than $14 billion in aid to help survivors rebuild.

vicspacewalker / Shutterstock.com