Date in year · 1903 · The 1900s

December 30, 1903

On December 30, 1903, a fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois kills at least 605.

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1903

1900s

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The year in brief

1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar, the 1903rd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 903rd year of the 2nd millennium, the 3rd year of the 20th…

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What happened

On December 30, 1903

  1. 1903 A fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois kills at least 605.

    1903 building fire in Chicago, Illinois

    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.

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