Question 1

True or false: The earthquake occurred because of a rupture along the San Andreas Fault.

Accepted Answer

True. Correct. The fault slipped about 20 feet near San Francisco, causing the magnitude 7.9 quake. This was key to developing plate tectonics theory.

Question 2

True or false: The earthquake struck at midnight, catching most residents asleep in their homes.

Accepted Answer

False. False. It struck at 5:12 a.m., when many were still in bed, but dawn was breaking. The timing actually reduced the death toll slightly.

Question 3

True or false: Most of the destruction in San Francisco came from fire, not the earthquake itself.

Accepted Answer

True. True. The quake ruptured gas lines, sparking fires that burned for days. Over 80% of the city was destroyed by flames, not shaking.

Question 4

True or false: The 1906 earthquake was the deadliest in U.S. history, killing over 10,000 people.

Accepted Answer

False. While devastating, the death toll was around 3,000, not 10,000. The 1900 Galveston hurricane killed more, and later quakes like 1923 Kanto were deadlier.

Question 5

True or false: Only a few hundred buildings collapsed, as most were built to withstand shaking.

Accepted Answer

False. False. Thousands of buildings collapsed or were damaged, especially unreinforced masonry. The city’s building codes were lax before 1906.

Question 6

True or false: After the quake, the U.S. Army dynamited buildings to create firebreaks, but this sometimes spread the fires.

Accepted Answer

False. False. The Army did dynamite, but it’s a myth it spread fires. Controlled demolitions actually helped stop the blaze in some areas.

Question 7

True or false: The earthquake was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles and as far east as Nevada.

Accepted Answer

True. True. The shaking was remarkably widespread, covering about 350,000 square miles, though intensity varied greatly with distance.

Question 8

True or false: Insurance companies paid out claims for fire damage, but not for earthquake damage, leading to lawsuits.

Accepted Answer

True. True. Insurers argued fires were separate, but courts often ruled the earthquake caused the fires, forcing many companies to pay or go bankrupt.

1906 San Francisco earthquake Trivia Questions