June 16 in Victorian History
What the Victorians were up to on this date, year by remarkable year.
1883
The Victoria Hall disaster
In Sunderland, 183 children are crushed to death in a stampede at the Victoria Hall. They had rushed for free toys being handed out after a magic show, and a bolted door at the foot of a staircase trapped them. The tragedy leads to new laws on theatre exits -- the first child-safety legislation of its kind.