Skopje’s massive earthquake

We like to think of California as spot susceptible to earthquakes. And, of course, it is.

But for 20 seconds, beginning at the stroke of 5:17 a.m. on July 26, 1963, a quake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale shook Skopje, Macedonia, like a tourist throwing craps at the Coeur d’Alene Casino. More than 1,100 people died in the crush of stone and brick, plus another 120,000 were left homeless.

Considering that Skopje at the time boasted a population of only about 200,000, it’s clear that the damage affected most of the city’s residents – though obviously it could have been far worse.

The train station in the city center was halfway smashed, and to this day the half that held up still stands. In fact, the clock that is attached to the building front never moves from the exact moment that the quake first began its deadly dance.

Below: As a testament to the 1963 earthquake, the clock on the front what remains of the old Skopje train station (now a museum) registers the exact moment that the quake hit.

Photo by Dan Webster