Events on May 9 in history

1877 Iquique earthquake (May 9, 1877)

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Peru kills 2,541, including some as far away as Hawaii and Japan.

The 1877 Iquique earthquake occurred at 21:16 local time on 9 May (0:59 on 10 May UTC). It had a magnitude of 8.5 on the surface wave magnitude scale. Other estimates of its magnitude have been as high as 8.9 Mw and 9.0 Mt (based on the size of the tsunami). It had a maximum intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale and triggered a devastating tsunami. A total of 2,385 people died, mainly in Fiji.

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Events on 1877

20 Feb

Swan Lake
Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake receives its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
10 May

Mihail Kogălniceanu
Romania declares itself independent from the Ottoman Empire following the Senate adoption of Mihail Kogălniceanu's Declaration of Independence.
10 Jul

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
The then-villa of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, formally receives its city charter from the Royal Crown of Spain.
5 Oct

Nez Perce people
Chief Joseph surrenders his Nez Perce band to General Nelson A. Miles.
21 Nov

Phonograph
Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record and play sound.

Events on May 9 in history

1877 Iquique earthquake (May 9, 1877)

References

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Events on 1877

Swan Lake

Mihail Kogălniceanu

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

Nez Perce people

Phonograph