The 1906 Earthquake was the most dramatic event in American history outside of war, the greatest disaster in our history, and for nearly a century was the subject of enormous lies and misrepresentations. The men who ran the city claimed they were great heroes rallying San Francisco in its most desperate hours: they were not. They claimed 478 people died: the actual death count is most likely in excess of 5,000. Enrico Caruso, the world's greatest entertainer, performed at the Grand Opera House five hours before the disaster and survived a horrific adventure. You cannot make this stuff up.