May 23, 1956 Earthquake: Fiji Islands

Name: May 23, 1956 Earthquake: Fiji Islands
Start: 1956-05-23
Location: Fiji Islands

May 23, 1956 · M7.5

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Fiji Islands on May 23, 1956 at 20:48:00 UTC, 430 km below the surface.

Map

Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.

The earthquake

Date: May 23, 1956
Time: 20:48:00 UTC
Place: Fiji Islands
Magnitude: 7.5
Focal depth: 430 km (267 mi)
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 15.000° S, 179.000° W
Country: Fiji

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1956 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1956 Recent earthquakes near here This day in weather history

Sources

Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 4096.