The 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake (Span: Terremoto de Valdivia/Gran terremoto de Chile) was a 9.5 mms earthquake that occurred on Sunday, May 22, 1960. It is, to date, the strongest earthquake in recorded history. The earthquake wreaked enormous damage upon Chile and produced tsunamis that affected areas as far away as Oceania, Hawai'i (in particular the city of Hilo), Japan, Alaska, and the United States.