Victoria Hall Stampede 1883

In 1883, tragedy struck after a magic show at Victoria Hall in Sunderland, England. Organizers began handing out prizes to kids on the ground floor, angering those seated in the balcony. An estimated 1,100 excited children surged downstairs to claim rewards, but the exit door at the bottom opened inward and had been bolted so only one child could squeeze through at a time. The children in front were crushed by the force of those behind them. By the end, 183 children, aged just 3 to 14, lay dead. The heartbreaking event spurred the invention of the "push bar" emergency door, which is still an industry standard for safety today.

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