Earthquake, also known as a quake, tremor or temblor, is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking the Earth and sometimes displacement of the ground. When the epicenter of a large earthquake is located offshore, the seabed may be displaced sufficiently to cause a tsunami. Earthquakes can also trigger landslides, and occasionally volcanic activity.

Sometimes earthquakes make new islands also. A new island has emerged from the ocean offshore of the city of Gwadar, Paakistaan, after a strong magnitude of 7.7 earthquake shook the country on the morning of Sept 24, 2013. The mound appears to be 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 meters) high and 100 feet (30 meters) wide.  It rose out of the sea at a spot located about 350 feet (100 meters) from the coast.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/
This site gives the full list of earthquakes occurred. Although small earthquakes are an usual phenomenon of the world, but indeed since 21st July 2009; several big earthquakes (over 6.0) have occurred in the world.

   Date           Scale     Area
2014-4-1         8.2       Near Chile, South America, with a 6.2 aftershock
2013-10-12      6.2      Crete, Greece
2013-10-11      7.0      Alaska, USA
2013-9-24      7.7      Paakistaan
2013-4-23      8.2      Russia
2013-2-5        8.0      Solomon Islands, caused a 3 feet Tsunami, more then 3 dozens aftershocks
2012-10-27     7.7      British Columbia, Canada
2012-04-11     8.7       Indonesia, Sumaatraa, with a 8.2 aftershock
2011-04-11      7.0      Japan
2011-03-11      8.9      Japan (with 23 feet of Tsunami)
2011-03-10     5.8      China (Yunnan Province)
2010-04-06    7.7      Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
2010-04-04    7.2      San Diego and Los Angeles (CA) centered in Baja California, Mexico
2010-04-02    7.0      Near Japan
2010-02-27    8.8      Chile, 800 miles southwest of Santiago - one among the top 10 most powerful earthquakes. (1000 times more
                                       powerful than Haiti earthquake)
2010-01-12                 Haiti
1976                           China - killed 250,000 people
1960-05-22   9.5        Valdivia earthquake in Chile

Some other High Scale Earthquakes

1923               8.5    Kamchataka Peninsula, Russia
1950               8.6    Assam / Tibbat
2005              8.6    Northern Sumaatraa, Indonesia
1965               8.7    Rat Island, Alaska, USA
1906               8.8    Off the Coast of Ecuador
2010               8.8    Offshore Maule, Chile
1952               9.0    Kamchataka Peninsula, Russia
2011-03-11      9.0    Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan (5th largest Quake)
2004-12-26    9.1    Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra
1964               9.2    Prince William Sound, Alaska
1960               9.5    Chile