Angra was hit by a major earthquake on 1 January 1980 that did considerable damage to the city 's historic center and to many other locations on the island of Terceira . The Azores have experienced many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions since prehistoric times , but the 1980 event was probably the most serious since the eighteenth century . The damage in the city was repaired and rebuilt within four years . In 1983 , the historic center of Angra do Heroísmo was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site
major earthquake on 1 January 1980
1980 Azores Islands earthquake
Angra do Heroísmo