Peter Debruge – Variety/Daily Variety

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May 23, 1960: A tsunami, caused by an earthquake off the coast of Chile, killed 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii. Thousands of people died in Chile the day before as a result of the 8.5 magnitude quake. The U.S.’ West Coast was also damaged by the tsunami, but had no casualties. The Pacific Tsunami Warning System gave Hawaiians approximately six hours’ notice before the expected arrival of the giant wave. Some people chose to ignore the warnings while others went to the coast to catch a glimpse. The tsunami also hit Japan, but many people were not able to get out of the way in time, with 180 people killed on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.