On July 26, 1963, a devastating earthquake struck Skopje, claiming 1,070 lives and injuring 3,000 people. Over 200,000 residents were left homeless. Many older Skopje residents, who were children at the time, still vividly recall those harrowing days.

Now, 61 years later, the memory of the catastrophic earthquake that hit Skopje at 5:17 PM on July 26, 1963, remains. The disaster resulted in the deaths of 1,070 citizens and left 15,800 injured. It destroyed 28,000 homes and damaged 200,000 more. The first relief efforts came from the army and citizens of the then Yugoslav republics. In the following days, aid and rescue teams from 78 countries arrived, offering financial, medical, and engineering support, as well as construction supplies. This international assistance has cemented Skopje’s identity as a city of solidarity, remembered fondly for decades.