Source: http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/7up.html NUMBER OF EARTHQUAKES PER YEAR MAGNITUDE 7.0 OR GREATER 1900 - 1998 1900 13 1930 13 1960 22 1990 13 1901 14 1931 26 1961 18 1991 10 1902 8 1932 13 1962 15 1992N 23 1903 10 1933 14 1963 20 1993M 16 1904 16 1934 22 1964 15 1994 15 1905 26 1935 24 1965 22 1995E 25 1906 32 1936 21 1966 19 1996 22 1907 27 1937 22 1967 16 1997 20 1908 18 1938 26 1968 30 1998 16 1909 32 1939 21 1969 27 1910 36 1940 23 1970 29 1911 24 1941 24 1971 23 1912 22 1942 27 1972 20 1913 23 1943* 41 1973 16 1914 22 1944 31 1974 21 1915 18 1945 27 1975 21 1916 25 1946 35 1976$ 25 1917 21 1947 26 1977 16 1918 21 1948 28 1978 18 1919 14 1949 36 1979 15 1920 8 1950 39 1980 18 1921 11 1951 21 1981 14 1922 14 1952 17 1982 10 1923 23 1953 22 1983 15 1924 18 1954 17 1984 8 1925 17 1955 19 1985 15 1926 19 1956 15 1986# 6 1927 20 1957 34 1987 11 1928 22 1958 10 1988 8 1929 19 1959 15 1989 7 Total 1900-1997 = 1960 events = 20 per year * Most active year since 1900 # Least active year since 1900 $ Year with most people killed since 1900 (295,000 - 699,000; dominated by the Tangshan quake with casualty estimate from 255,000 - 655,000) N First full year of operation on NSN/digital recording system M Year moment magnitude quotes were introduced E Year energy magnitude quotes were introduced Statistics were compiled from the Earthquake Data Base System of the U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center, Golden CO