Gathering Point News

Gathering Point News

50 Greatest Event Flops in History

FLOP No. 31 – Iroquois Theatre Fire (1903)

Gatheringpoint.news: The 50 Biggest Flops in Event History

David Adler's avatar
David Adler
Aug 23, 2025
∙ Paid
Share
Inferno in the Gilded Theater

To view the entire list click here

The Promise: Chicago’s newest, most opulent theater opened with fanfare—a “fireproof” venue fit for royalty and society elites.

What Happened: During a packed matinee performance, a stage light sparked a fire. Panic spread, and exits failed. Over 600 people died—the deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history.

What Fai…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Gathering Point News to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 David Adler
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture