Prompt Cast
The Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755: A Triple Disaster that Shaped History
TLDR The Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 was a catastrophic event that consisted of an earthquake, tsunami, and fire, resulting in the destruction of 85% of Lisbon and the loss of thousands of lives. This triple disaster challenged theological explanations of disasters and sparked the development of the modern concept of a disaster.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
On November 1st, 1755, the Great Lisbon Earthquake occurred, devastating the city and its inhabitants.
01:38
The Great Lisbon Earthquake on November 1st, 1755, was unique because it consisted of three different disasters that hit the city on the same day, causing significant devastation.
03:06
The Great Lisbon Earthquake in 1755 consisted of a slip in the Azores Gibraltar transform fault, resulting in a major earthquake measuring 8.4 on the Richter scale, causing buildings to collapse and the sea to recede.
04:36
Approximately 40 minutes after the earthquake, a massive tsunami struck the waterfront, flooding the city center and causing further destruction, followed by a fire that burned out of control for five days.
06:03
The earthquake and tsunami resulted in the destruction of 85% of Lisbon, including the city center, port, and infrastructure, as well as the loss of thousands of books and works of art, and an estimated death toll of 30,000 to 50,000 people, with widespread devastation along the coast of Portugal and even reaching as far as Morocco, the Caribbean, and Brazil.
07:27
The new city of Lisbon was planned and built from scratch with wide streets and Pombeline buildings that were designed to resist seismic forces, while the earthquake also sparked the beginning of the modern science of seismology and challenged theological explanations of the world.
08:49
The Lisbon earthquake challenged theological explanations of disasters and was one of the first times a natural disaster was viewed as such, leading to the development of the modern concept of a disaster.
