1985: Mexico City earthquake

The 1985 Mexico City earthquake, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake that struck Mexico on 19 September 1985 at 7:19 local time, caused the deaths of about 10,000 people and serious damage in the nation's capital. This earthquake had significant long-term political consequences for the country. The complete seismic event consisted of four quakes. A pre-event quake of magnitude 5.2 occurred on 28 May 1985. The main and most powerful shock occurred 19 September, followed by two aftershocks: one on 20 September 1985 of magnitude 7.5 and the third occurring seven months later on 30 April 1986 of magnitude 7.0. The quakes were located off the Mexican Pacific coast, more than 350 km away, but due to strength of the quake and the fact that Mexico City sits on an old lakebed, Mexico City suffered major damage. The event caused between three and four billion USD in damage as 412 buildings collapsed and another 3,124 were seriously damaged in the city. While the number is in dispute, the most-often cited number of deaths is about an estimated 10,000 people. The earthquake—apart from the aforementioned political consequences—had long-term social effects on the country.

(Source: Wikipedia)