The earthquake that changed history – BBC REEL

The 1755 earthquake of Lisbon had such a profound effect on the world that we are still feeling its impact today. As well as devastating one of the most important cities of the 18th century, it shook the thinking of the time.

Many believed the earthquake was a punishment from God. Others wondered if science was a better way to the understand the universe and how it works. We now associate these thinkers with the Age of Enlightenment, a period of history that led to the French Revolution and the American War of Independence.

Video by Izabela Cardoso & Fernando Teixeira
Executive Producers: Harriet Oliver & Paul I. Harris

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#bbc #bbcreel #bbcnews

[myname]

I did this for a school project on a natural history event, & most people ridiculed me because it was so obscure. I got full marks because it stood out, & was a significant event!😊❤❤

[PandoraKyss]

For anyone who enjoys video games, there's a sequence in the historical fiction game 'Assassin's Creed Rogue' that depicts this tragedy. The game is set during the Seven Years War in the mid-to-late 18th century. You visit Lisbon, specifically the Convento da Ordem do Carmo, to retrieve a relic from beneath the church. In the game lore, it's your character lifting the relic that triggers the quake, which you must escape as the building and city streets collapse around you. It's honestly one of the most jaw dropping moments I've had while gaming, and it inspired me to learn more about the actual event. I highly recommend it.

[TyoVlog]

The earthquake that changed Shay Patrick Cormac life

[edisonlima]

This earthquake also got Portuguese music stuck in the past.
As the rest of Europe embraced opera and musical thematic experimentation, Portugal, having all the theaters of Lisbom destroyed and losing most of its more daring musicians, turned its back to more modern music and focused all subsides in old fashioned religious choirs.
That's why Portugal (and, by extention Brazil and the other Portuguese colonies) totally missed on the golden age of opera and the early popularization of classical music that followed.

[AmicusAdastra]

The most scary thing about this earthquake and some shocks from the earthquake were felt throughout Europe as far as Finland and in North Africa, and according to some sources even in Greenland and the Caribbean

[no_more_spamplease]

The chain of events started by that earthquake also changed the language spoken in Brazil. Up to the earthquake, the most adopted language in Brazil was Nheengatu, a lingua franca made up of indigenous Brazilian languages and promoted by Jesuit missionaries. When Marquis of Pombal consolidated his power after his widely popular reconstruction of Lisbon, he decided that the language used in the colony of Brazil should be Portuguese, and Nheengatu was forbidden.

[philipnorris]

I have heard of this earthquake before, but I never realised that it had such profound and far-reaching effects. Very interesting stuff.

[stephenmoerlein]

A great tragedy of this event was that the historical archives that documented the Portuguese age of discovery were destroyed and lost to the world.

[JordiVanderwaal]

I'm astonished how such an event changed European history, and the comments are leaving me even more impressed.

[sophroniel]

I lived thru the christchurch earthquakes of 2010/2011, so I think I've had enough for a lifetime, thanks

[TheAllMightyGodofCod]

At school we learn alot about the earthquake, Pombal and the reconstruction but we where never told this was the beginning of moder seismology or that he did the inquires.
It was nice to learn that!

[wfjyuyr]

Interesting fact: Maria Atoinetta was born the day after this earthquake.

[Li_Yifei]

We have 7.3 earthquake recently here in the Philippines. Its strong enough to crack the roads. Im glad that there is no tsunami

[webbr]

little did they know, Shay actually started the earthquale

[edwinavanasselt]

When asked what to do, the Marques de Pombal, answered:"Take care of the survivors and bury the decease d ones". That's the phrase that defined him at the time.

[Luzitanium]

we have to analyze the mentality of the people from that time, which God and religious was playing a big role on peoples lives, so this made them questioning God and also the Earthquake destroyed churches and sparing brothels made them questioning even more.

[ralebeau]

On a more mundane note, Pombal was responsible for rebuilding the streets in more of a military design. That is why Lisbon has mostly straight streets unlike other old cities like Sevilla. Also, the king was to afraid to go back into his palace and spent the rest of his life in a royal tent.

[harrisafiari]

Thank you for this information, I live in Indonesia nearly every day we had an earthquacke because my country lying in the ring of fire.

[kerrykamenski]

i had legit not heard of this till about a week ago....in part because i went down the rabbit hole on tornados...mother nature dont mess around...

[fahmialeeisamanodi]

Fun fact during that day when the earthquake started Marie Antoinette was born