An earthquake in Valdivia, south-central Chile, causes a tsunami that leads to significant destruction along Japan's coast.

The 1837 Valdivia earthquake struck south-central Chile on November 7. Together with earthquakes in 1575 and 1737 the earthquake is among the historical predecessors to the great 1960 earthquake. The rupture zone was roughly from Valdivia to the south. It was felt in the cities of Concepción,…