How many earthquakes does Alaska have each year? Alaska has 11% of the world's earthquakes, and 3 of the 6 largest in recorded history were located there. Since 1900, Alaska has had 1 magnitude 7 or 8 earthquakes per year, 45 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or 7, and 10,000 quakes overall annually. The most famous earthquake, of course, was the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake centered near Prince William Sound. With a magnitude 9.2 over 4.5 minutes, this devastating temblor and resulting tsunami took the lives of 100 people and turned the city of Anchorage into a disaster area.