Long Beach Earthquake

March 10, 1933 - A little before 6PM on this day, the ground started shaking in Long Beach, California.

The quake registered 6.4 on the Richter scale and caused significant damage. 120 people died.

Over 200 schools were destroyed in the disaster and it was clear that had the quake struck during school hours the death toll would have been significantly higher. This realization forced the California State Legislature to pass the Field Act, which included stringent new building codes. It was one of the first laws of its kind in the United States.