The magnitude-8.8 earthquake was recorded at 3.34 AM in Chile. The scale was so massive that it was felt as far away as São Paolo, Brazil, Buenos Aires and Argentina. It triggered a tsunami which devastated many coastal areas of the country. The total death toll is around 500. It was the most powerful earthquake in the region since 1960, whose 9.5 magnitude was the strongest earthquake ever recorded.
Other notable events on February 27th:
In 1991, US President George H.W. Bush declared victory in the Persian Gulf War and ordered a cease-fire in the region.
In 1933, the Reichstag (Parliament) building in Berlin is set on fire, an event pivotal to the establishment of Nazi dictatorship.
In 1932, English physicist James Chadwick discovers the neutron, for which he is awarded the Nobel Prize.
