Chicago Theatre

Historical eventOctober 261921

Chicago Theatre

The Chicago Theatre (pictured), the oldest surviving grand movie palace, opened.

In context

When
Wednesday, October 26 1921105 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1920s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1921.

What happened

The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a theater on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban and Katz (B&K) group of theaters run by A. J. Balaban, his brother Barney Balaban and partner Sam Katz. Along with the other B&K theaters, from 1925 to 1945 the Chicago Theatre was a dominant movie theater enterprise. Currently, Madison Square Garden, Inc.

October 26 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1921Chicago Theatre
  2. 1995Flateyri
  3. 1999United Kingdom
  4. 2000Robert Guéï
  5. 2001Patriot Act
  6. 2001George W. Bush
  7. 2002Moscow theater hostage crisis
  8. 2003Cedar Fire
  9. 2004Rockstar Games
  10. 2012Microsoft
  11. 2015October 2015 Hindu Kush earthquake

Also in 1921

  • November 17Prince of Wales riotsRioting broke out in Bombay, India, during the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales, leading to at least 58 deaths.
  • March 18Russian Civil WarRussian Civil War: Bolshevik forces suppressed a rebellion of sailors and civilians in Kronstadt.
  • July 231st National Congress of the Chinese Communist PartyThe first National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party opened in a house in Shanghai.
  • March 31Royal Australian Air ForceThe Australian Air Force was formed, replacing the short-lived Australian Air Corps and separating it from the Army.
  • March 1Kronstadt rebellionThe Kronstadt rebellion began following mass protests in Petrograd demanding greater freedom in Russia with sailors and citizens taking u…
  • March 1Australia national cricket teamThe Australian cricket team, led by Warwick Armstrong, became the first team to complete a whitewash in the Ashes, an achievement that wo…
  • November 1Frances KyleFrances Kyle was called to the Bar of Ireland, becoming the first female barrister in Ireland or Great Britain.
  • March 30Australian Air CorpsThe Australian Air Corps was disbanded, to be replaced the following day by the Australian Air Force.

Everything we record for 1921 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Chicago Theatre”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/chicago-theatre-1921-october-26, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Chicago Theatre happen?

October 26 1921 — 105 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.