Earthquake in Alaska: The Last Frontier was hit by second-strongest quake ever in 1964.

It's Been 50 Years Since the Great Alaskan Earthquake and Its Tsunami of Fire

It's Been 50 Years Since the Great Alaskan Earthquake and Its Tsunami of Fire

Slate in motion.
March 27 2014 3:30 PM

Four Minutes of Terror on the Last Frontier

Fifty years ago today, Alaska was hit by the second-strongest earthquake ever recorded.

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On March 27, 1964, south-central Alaska was hit by an earthquake so powerful it wrought massive fissures, landslides, and seismic waves so strong they swayed the Space Needle in Seattle. Now believed to have been a magnitude of 9.2, it is considered the second-strongest quake ever recorded.​

Dallas Jensen is a regular video contributor to Slate.