1810, citizens of Concepci�n joined up. Concepci�n was used as the point of entry by the Spanish Army in the attempt by the Viceroyalty of Peru to re-conquer Chile. Concepci�n politicians and soldiers became a significant political force in the newly-independent country.
On January 1, 1818, Ambrose O'Higgins's son, Bernardo O'Higgins, proclaimed and took the oath of the Chilean War of Independence in the main square of Concepci�n, which since then has been known as "Plaza de la Independencia". On February 20, 1835, the town again was largely destroyed by an earthquake and had to be rebuilt.
As of 2010, Concepci�n is the second largest city of Chile. The Universidad de Concepci�n, founded in 1919, became the first private university in Chile. The neighboring harbor of Talcahuano is the site of the largest naval base in Chile.
On February 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Concepci�n, killing more than 521 people and injuring thousands nationwide. Following the earthquake, geologists relying on global positioning satellite (GPS) data concluded that the city had been displaced roughly 3 meters (10 feet) to the west as a result of the event. Fortunately, the city avoided the tsunami that followed the earthquake.
After the 2010 Chile earthquake, a prison riot began in Concepci�n's El Manzano prison following a failed escape attempt by the internees. Different parts of the prison were set on fire and the riot was controlled only after the guards shot into the air and received help from military units. As of 5 March 2010, a Peruvian field hospital has been deployed to the city.
Seismology
Like all of Chile, the Concepci�n region is seismically active, with much of Concepci�n destroyed by a violent earthquake in 1939. Another major earthquake in 1960 had a nearby epicenter.[FN 2]
On February 27, 2010, an earthquake of 8.8 magnitude struck at 35.846�S, 72.719�W, 115 km (71 mi)
