1908 messina earthquake, italy. The 1908 Messina earthquake was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake and is considered to be the deadliest earthquake in the history of Europe and is one of the most highly rated earthquakes (in terms of destruction) ever recorded.ocial Impacts. The 1908 Messina Earthquake resulted in a large loss of life due to the collapse of unreinforced masonry buildings (URM), taking the lives of approximately 123,000 people, in the city of Messina alone.