Iroquois Theatre Fire 1903
In December 1903, Chicago's Iroquois Theatre, billed in ads as "Absolutely Fireproof," turned into a death trap just 37 days after opening. A backstage spark ignited scenery during a packed matinee performance, and flames ripped through the building. Over 602 people died, and 250 more were injured, most of them women and children from upper-middle-class families out for a holiday show.
Panic set in as unfinished fire escapes forced patrons to jump from windows. The first jumpers' bodies broke the falls of those who followed. Public outrage was fierce. Lawsuits targeted the theatre's owners and even the mayor, but the only conviction went to a tavern keeper, and it wasn't for negligence but for grave robbing victims' remains. The Iroquois Theatre fire remains the deadliest single-building blaze in U.S. history.