PS General Slocum

Historical eventJune 151904

PS General Slocum

A fire aboard the steamboat SS General Slocum in New York City's East River kills 1,000.

Everything on June 15Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, June 15 1904122 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 1904.

What happened

PS General Slocum was an American sidewheel passenger steamboat built in Brooklyn, New York, in 1891. During her service history, she was involved in a number of mishaps, including multiple groundings and collisions.

June 15 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1904PS General Slocum
  2. 1977Death and funeral of Francisco Franco
  3. 1978Hussein of Jordan
  4. 1988Ariane 4
  5. 1991Mount Pinatubo
  6. 19911991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo
  7. 1992Supreme Court of the United States
  8. 19951995 Aigio earthquake
  9. 1996The Troubles
  10. 2006George W. Bush
  11. 2013June 2013 Quetta attacks

Also in 1904

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  • January 8Blackstone LibraryBlackstone Library (pictured), the first branch of the Chicago Public Library system, was dedicated.
  • December 3Himalia (moon)Himalia, Jupiter's largest irregular moon, was discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at the Lick Observatory in California.
  • June 28SS NorgeIn the worst maritime disaster involving a Danish merchant ship, SS Norge ran aground on Hasselwood Rock and sank in the North Atlantic,…
  • December 6Theodore RooseveltPresident Theodore Roosevelt announced the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, justifying the exercise of "international police p…
  • March 6Scottish National Antarctic ExpeditionScottish National Antarctic Expedition: Led by William Speirs Bruce (pictured), the Antarctic region of Coats Land was discovered by the…
  • April 24RussificationRealizing that the Russification of Lithuania was not working, the Russian Empire lifted the 40-year-old ban on publications written in L…

Everything we record for 1904 →

Sources

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“PS General Slocum”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/ps-general-slocum-1904-june-15, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did PS General Slocum happen?

June 15 1904 — 122 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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