If there’s ever a day to hold onto hats, double-test foundations and keep an ear out for rumblings deep within the Earth, it’s Richter Scale Day. This occasion is an acknowledgement and celebration of the birthday of the man who taught the world how to measure earthquakes – Charles F. Richter.
Born in 1900, the American earthquake obsessive (technically known as a ‘seismologist’), came up with the Richter Scale in 1935, while at the California Institute of Technology. Since then, the world has been able to compare various earthquakes and investigate their relative power for destruction. The 20th century’s biggest happened in Chile on 22 May 1960, measuring a magnitude of 9.5.
Some people celebrate by getting together with a bunch of friends to watch their favourite disaster films. 1974’s Earthquake, 1999’s Aftershock: Earthquake in New York and 2003’s The Core are all popular choices.
