In the Soviet Union, an earthquake of a 6.9 magnitude on the Richter scale hits northwestern Armenia, affecting an area 50 miles in diameter. The initial earthquake was followed four minutes later by a powerful 5.8 magnitude aftershock. More than 20 towns and 342 villages were affected, and 58 of them were heavily damaged. Spitak, a major population center, was almost completely destroyed. The earthquakes killed more tha at least 60,000 people, injured at least 15,000, and left some 500,000 Armenians homeless. Direct economic losses were estimated at $14 billion. With the USSR nearing economic collapse, rebuilding was slow and ineffective.
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Dec 7, 1988:
Earthquake devastates Armenia
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This Week in History, Dec 7 - Dec 13
- Dec 07, 1787
- The First State
- Dec 07, 1975
- Indonesia invades East Timor
- Dec 07, 1982
- First execution by lethal injection
- Dec 07, 1988
- Earthquake devastates Armenia
- Dec 08, 1542
- Mary Queen of Scots born
- Dec 08, 1987
- Superpowers agree to reduce nuclear arsenals
- Dec 08, 1993
- NAFTA signed into law
- Dec 09, 1958
- John Birch Society founded
- Dec 09, 1987
- Intifada begins on Gaza Strip
- Dec 09, 1990
- Walesa elected president of Poland
- Dec 09, 1992
- Separation of Charles and Diana announced
- Dec 10, 1898
- Treaty of Paris ends Spanish-American War
- Dec 10, 1950
- Bunche receives Nobel Peace Prize
- Dec 10, 1974
- Sex scandal involving Arkansas politician
- Dec 11, 1946
- UNICEF founded
- Dec 11, 1994
- Yeltsin orders Russian forces into Chechnya
- Dec 12, 1901
- Marconi sends first Atlantic wireless transmission
- Dec 12, 1913
- Mona Lisa recovered in Florence
- Dec 12, 1917
- Father Flanagan establishes Boys Town
- Dec 12, 1937
- USS Panay sunk by Japanese
- Dec 13, 1577
- Drake sets out
- Dec 13, 1621
- First export of American furs
- Dec 13, 1642
- Tasman discovers New Zealand
- Dec 13, 1937
- The Rape of Nanking
- Dec 13, 2003
- Saddam Hussein captured
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