119 years ago today, on April 19, 1906 (March 26, 1906), a major earthquake struck San Francisco. United States (San Francisco, California)/Magnitude (Richter): 7.8/Death Count: 3000/Property Damage: $524 million April 19, 1906 A day after a powerful earthquake struck the entire Bay Area, miles of fire burned much of San Francisco to ashes tonight. According to military estimates, nearly a thousand people were killed by the fire or were crushed by collapsed buildings. The city's business district was in ruins, and as the wind changed today, the flames were spreading towards the upper-class housing areas of Mount Noble, with damage estimated to be as high as $200 million. Martial law has been declared in San Francisco to ensure safety. The army coordinated with the police to prevent looting. Some of the thieves were reportedly executed. Thousands of panicked citizens had been evacuated by boat and train, and many more had not been evacuated due to lack of transportation. People lined up at the docks. Half of the city's residents spent the night in public squares, parks or other open spaces. Aftershocks shook the city again earlier in the day, sending many people fleeing their homes. A reporter said the pile of bodies in the morgue was growing. 270 people were killed in a mental hospital. Hundreds of severely injured residents are being treated in hospitals in the earthquake-ravaged and terrifying city. San Francisco is in ruins