An earthquake measuring 8.6 on the Richter scale jolted off the east coast of Japan's main Honshu island Friday, according to the China Earthquake Network Center.

The following is a chronology of major strong quakes around the world since 1900:

On Jan. 31, 1906, an 8.8-magnitude quake struck the coasts of Ecuador and Colombia, killing nearly 1,000 people.

On May 21, 1960, a 9.5-magnitude earthquake, which was the strongest after quakes were first recorded in 1900, rocked Chile and killed 1,655 people.

On March 27, 1964, Alaska of the United States was hit by an 8.4-magnitude quake, which triggered a tsunami and caused casualties and damage.

On Dec. 26, 2004, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake occurred in the sea off Sumatera Island of Indonesia and led to a severe tsunami, killing over 220,000 in Indonesia and nearby countries.

On March 28, 2005, an 8.5-magnitude quake took place in the sea off Indonesia's Sumatera Island, causing heavy casualties and damage.

On May 12, 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit southwestern China's Wenchuan county, killing nearly 70,000 and leaving some 18,000 missing.

On Feb. 27, 2010, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Chile, killing at least 300 and triggering tsunamis as well as communications and power breakup in the region.