Historical eventDecember 301903
Iroquois Theatre fire
In one of the deadliest single-building fires in United States history, the Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago killed more than 600 people.
In context
- When
- Wednesday, December 30 1903123 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 20th century · 1900s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.
At a glance
Dates: From 1903.
What happened
The Iroquois Theatre fire was a catastrophic building fire in Chicago, Illinois, that broke out on December 30, 1903, during a performance attended by 1,700 people. The fire caused 602 deaths and 250 non-fatal injuries. It ranks as the worst theater fire in the United States, surpassing the carnage of the Brooklyn Theatre fire of 1876, which claimed at least 278 lives.
December 30 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 1903Iroquois Theatre fire
- 2006Madrid–Barajas Airport
- 2006MV Senopati Nusantara
- 2006Saddam Hussein
- 2006Basque nationalism
- 20092009 Iranian pro-government rallies
- 2009Lanzhou–Zhengzhou–Changsha pipeline
- 2009Camp Chapman attack
- 2013Paul-Joseph Mukungubila
- 2013December 2013 Kinshasa attacks
- 20202020 Aden airport attack
Also in 1903
- August 29Russian battleship SlavaSlava, the last of five Borodino-class battleships, was launched by the Imperial Russian Navy.
- October 5Samuel GriffithSamuel Griffith (pictured) became the first Chief Justice of Australia, while Edmund Barton and Richard O'Connor became the first Puisne…
- July 19Maurice GarinFrench cyclist Maurice Garin won the first edition of the Tour de France.
- November 28SS PetrianaSS Petriana struck a reef near Point Nepean, leading to Australia's first major oil spill and a debate over the White Australia policy.
- August 3Internal Macedonian Revolutionary OrganizationMacedonian rebels in Kruševo established a republic, which existed for ten days before Ottoman forces destroyed the town.
- April 29Frank SlideA rockslide buried part of the Canadian mining town of Frank under 110 million tonnes of rock, killing around 70 people.
- October 10Emmeline PankhurstEmmeline Pankhurst (pictured) founded the Women's Social and Political Union, a militant organisation campaigning for women's suffrage in…
- September 24Alfred DeakinAlfred Deakin became the second Australian prime minister, succeeding Edmund Barton, who left office to become a founding justice of the…
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“Iroquois Theatre fire”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/iroquois-theatre-fire-1903-december-30, accessed October 25, 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 Iroquois Theatre fire happen?
December 30 1903 — 123 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.
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