Yesterday (6 July) was the 67th anniversary of the tragic Hartford Circus Fire when the big top of the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus caught fire during an afternoon performance at the circus location on Barbour Street. The tent was filled with families, and 168 were known to have died in the fire (there may have been others who were not identified due to the carnage at the fire scene).
Widely known as the "the day the Clowns Cried,” fire led changes in fire safety regulations. Most families in and around Hartford reported suffering the loss of a loved one or knowing family and friends who lost someone they knew.
Media report:
Hartford Courant: Hartford Circus Fire Remembered 67 Years Later (7 JUL 11)
FireGeezer: July 6, 1944 – "The Day the Clowns Cried" (7 JUL 11)
Time: DISASTERS: Six Minutes (17 JUL 44)
HistoryBuff: 1944 Hartford Circus Fire Remembrance
YouTube: 1944 Hartford Circus Fire - the big top collapse
YouTube:1944 Hartford Circus Fire - under the big top
YouTube: 1944 Hartford Circus Fire Raw Footage
YouTube: Hartford Circus Fire - survivor interview
Hartford History: The Hartford Circus Fire
Wikipedia: Hartford circus fire
Background information:
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