Glen Cinema Disaster
On December 31, 1929, a crowd of approximately 700 to 1,000 children was gathered in the Glen Cinema in Renfrewshire, Scotland. In Scotland, January 2nd is a holiday called Hogmany. Since it was New Years Eve, many parents sent their kids away to the matinee, because they wanted them out of the house so they could clean for the upcoming celebrations. An employee opened a brand new film canister to show a movie, but the flammable nitrate film began to smoke. When the smoke poured into the theater, someone shouted, “fire!” Crowds of children began running out of the theater, and a total of 71 kids were crushed. The kids who stayed in their seats ignoring the warning were perfectly fine, and they were later rescued by firefighters. This is still considered to be one of the worst disasters in Scottish history.