Historical eventFebruary 91971

1971 San Fernando earthquake

An earthquake registering 6.6 Mw struck the northern San Fernando Valley near the Los Angeles district of Sylmar, killing 65 people.

Everything on February 9Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, February 9 197155 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1970s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1971.

What happened

An earthquake registering 6.6 Mw struck the northern San Fernando Valley near the Los Angeles district of Sylmar, killing 65 people.

February 9 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 19711971 San Fernando earthquake
  2. 1996Copernicium
  3. 1996GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research
  4. 2001USS Greeneville
  5. 2001Ehime Maru and USS Greeneville collision
  6. 2016Bad Aibling rail accident
  7. 20182018 Winter Olympics
  8. 2020Nayib Bukele
  9. 2020Figure skating
  10. 2021Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump
  11. 2025Baltic states

Also in 1971

  • September 9Imagine (John Lennon album)Imagine, the second solo album by John Lennon (pictured), was released.
  • September 9Attica Prison riotThe four-day Attica Prison riot begins, eventually resulting in 39 dead, most killed by state troopers retaking the prison.
  • September 13Project 571Following a failed coup attempt, Mao Zedong's second-in-command Lin Biao died in a plane crash while attempting to flee China.
  • September 13National Guard (United States)State police and National Guardsmen storm New York's Attica Prison to quell a prison revolt, which claimed 43 lives.
  • September 13Mao ZedongChairman Mao Zedong's second in command and successor Marshal Lin Biao flees China after the failure of an alleged coup. His plane crashe…
  • September 15GreenpeaceThe first Greenpeace ship departs from Vancouver to protest against the upcoming Cannikin nuclear weapon test in Alaska.
  • May 25Killing of Joetha CollierJoetha Collier, a recent high school graduate, was killed in Drew, Mississippi, in a case that attracted widespread attention from civil…
  • August 14BahrainBahrain declares independence from Britain.

Everything we record for 1971 →

Sources

Cite this page

“1971 San Fernando earthquake”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1971-san-fernando-earthquake-1971-february-9, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did 1971 San Fernando earthquake happen?

February 9 1971 — 55 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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