Historical eventFebruary 171996

1996 Biak earthquake

An earthquake with a moment magnitude of 8.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent) occurred in the New Guinea Trench, which generated a tsunami that killed 108 people.

30th anniversary in 2026

Everything on February 17Original source

In context

When
Saturday, February 17 199630 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1990s
Anniversary
30th in 2026
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1996-02-17.

Type: earthquake.

What happened

Aftermath Domestic relief efforts Immediately after the earthquake, the government of Indonesia provided rice to the affected. [ 1 ] Some time after, the government, army, and Red Cross evacuated affected individuals, distributed aid, and constructed a mass kitchen for 1,000 residents. Transportation was a challenge as bad weather and high waves stopped boats from being able to effectively deliver relief. A team involving members of multiple governmental ministries,

The 1996 Biak earthquake, or the Irian Jaya earthquake, occurred on 17 February at 14:59:30 local time near Biak Island, Indonesia. The earthquake, which occurred on the New Guinea Trench, had a moment magnitude of 8.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The run-up height of the generated tsunami reached 7.7 m (25 ft). The disaster left at least 108 people dead, 423 injured, and 58 missing. It damaged or destroyed 5,043 houses which subsequently made another 10,000 homeless. At Korim,

February 17 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1992First Nagorno-Karabakh War
  2. 1995Cenepa War
  3. 1996NASA
  4. 1996Philadelphia
  5. 19961996 Biak earthquake
  6. 20062006 Southern Leyte mudslide
  7. 2008Kosovo
  8. 2011Bahrain
  9. 2011Arab Spring
  10. 20152015 Haiti Carnival stampede
  11. 2016February 2016 Ankara bombing

Also in 1996

  • May 11ValuJet Flight 592After the aircraft's departure from Miami, a fire started by improperly handled chemical oxygen generators in the cargo hold of Atlanta-b…
  • September 16Space Shuttle AtlantisSpace Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-79 to dock with the Russian space station Mir.
  • September 5Hurricane FranHurricane Fran makes landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina as a Category 3 storm with 115 mph sustained winds. Fran caused over $3 bill…
  • June 14ForeclosureAfter an 81-day standoff sparked by their refusal to be evicted from their foreclosed property in Jordan, Montana, the Christian Patriot…
  • August 14Killing of Solomos SolomouGreek Cypriot refugee Solomos Solomou is shot and killed by a Turkish security officer while trying to climb a flagpole in order to remov…
  • July 5Dolly (sheep)Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
  • November 5President of PakistanPakistani President Farooq Leghari dismisses the government of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and dissolves the National Assembly.
  • November 5Bill ClintonBill Clinton is reelected President of the United States.

Everything we record for 1996 →

Sources

Cite this page

“1996 Biak earthquake”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1996-biak-earthquake-1996-february-17, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did 1996 Biak earthquake happen?

February 17 1996 — 30 years ago, on a Saturday.

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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.