HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

A small earthquake centered near San Francisco rattled the area hours after a ceremony was held to mark the anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed much of the city.


The U.S. Geological Survey says Monday's quake had a preliminary magnitude of 3.8 and struck about two miles southeast of Pacifica at 2:57 p.m. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Dozens gathered in San Francisco early Monday morning to remember the 105th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake, which killed thousands. There are only three known survivors of that quake, and only one of them – Bill DelMonte, who was just a few months old at the time – was able to make this year's commemoration.


The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9;, however, other values have been proposed, from 7.7 to as high as 8.25.[


The main shock epicenter occurred offshore about 2 miles from the city, near Mussel Rock. It ruptured along the San Andreas Fault both northward and southward for a total of 296 miles. The earthquake and resulting fire are remembered as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States.
The death toll from the earthquake and resulting fire, estimated to be above 3,000, is the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in California's history.