A powerful earthquake destroys much of the town of Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesbos, killing hundreds.

At around six in the early evening a strong tremor lasting around fifteen seconds shook the town of Mytilene and surrounding areas on the Greek island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea.  This was followed soon after by a larger thirty second shock that did massive damage to almost all the structures in the town, including the castle and government buildings.  Hundreds of people were killed in the town and the villages in the northern parts of the island.  (By John Osborne)