Historical eventMay 81842

Versailles rail accident

A train derailed and caught fire near Versailles, France, killing at least 52 people.

Everything on May 8Original source

In context

When
Sunday, May 8 1842184 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1840s
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 1842.

What happened

A train derailed and caught fire near Versailles, France, killing at least 52 people.

May 8 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1842Versailles rail accident
  2. 1984Soviet Union
  3. 1984Denis Lortie
  4. 1984Thames Barrier
  5. 19841984 Summer Olympics boycott
  6. 1987Special Air Service
  7. 1988Illinois Bell
  8. 1997China Southern Airlines Flight 3456
  9. 2019Phage therapy
  10. 20212021 Kabul school bombing
  11. 20252025 conclave

Also in 1842

  • August 29Treaty of NankingUnder the Treaty of Nanking, an "unequal treaty" that ended the First Opium War, the Chinese island from which Hong Kong would grow was c…
  • November 26University of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame (building pictured) was founded by Edward Sorin of the Congregation of Holy Cross as an all-male institution…
  • January 13First Anglo-Afghan WarFirst Anglo-Afghan War: William Brydon, an assistant surgeon in the British Army, was the sole European of the 14,000 people retreating f…
  • August 1Lombard Street riotThree days of rioting erupted after a parade in Philadelphia, celebrating the end of slavery in the West Indies, was attacked by a mob.
  • March 9Rancho San FranciscoAwaking from a nap under a tree at Rancho San Francisco, Francisco López made the first popularly documented discovery of gold in Califor…
  • March 9NabuccoNabucco, an opera by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi that established his reputation, premiered at La Scala in Milan.

Everything we record for 1842 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Versailles rail accident”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/versailles-rail-accident-1842-may-8, accessed October 29, 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 Versailles rail accident happen?

May 8 1842 — 184 years ago, on a Sunday.

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.