Saturday, October 17, 2026

October 17, 1814: Disaster. The London Beer Flood Takes Place






The London Beer Flood happened on October 17, 1814, when a massive 22-foot-tall wooden fermentation vat burst at the Horse Shoe Brewery owned by Meux & Co. on Tottenham Court Road. [1, 2, 3]

What Happened
  • The Rupture: An iron ring snapped on a giant vat holding over 3,500 barrels of fermenting porter ale.
  • The Wave: The explosion caused a chain reaction that shattered other tanks, releasing up to 320,000 gallons of beer in a 15-foot wave.
  • The Impact: The torrent smashed the brewery's back brick wall and rushed into the poor St. Giles Rookery slum, destroying fragile basement homes. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Casualties and Aftermath
  • Deaths: Eight people died from collapsed buildings and drowning, mostly women and children, including mourners at a basement wake. [1, 2, 3]
  • The Verdict: A coroner's jury ruled the disaster an "Act of God," meaning the brewery faced no criminal liability or requirement to pay victim compensation. [1, 2, 3]
  • Survival: Parliament refunded the brewery's excise taxes for the lost beer, saving the company from bankruptcy and changing industry standards as large wooden vats were phased out for lined concrete. [1, 2]












More This Day In History:

June 26, 1948, the United States launched the Berlin Airlift, known as "Operation Vittles"
June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand Is Assassinated
June 30, 1908 The Tunguska explosion (or Tunguska event)
July 1, 1863: The Battle Of Gettysburg Begins
July 2, 1937 Amelia Earhart disappears
July 3, 1775: George Washington Takes Command Of The Continental Army
July 4, 1776: The Declaration Of Independence Is AdoptedJuly 13, 1949: Pope Pius XII excommunicates all communist Catholics
July 17, 1918: The Romanov Family Is Executed By Communists
July 19, 1799: The Rosetta Stone Is Discovered
July 21, 1861: The First Battle of Bull Run
July 22, 1298: William Wallace Is Defeated At The Battle Of Falkirk
July 25, 1898 - U.S. forces invade Puerto Rico
July 26, 1847 - Liberia proclaimed its independence: Wakanda Realized.
July 29, 1588: The Spanish Armada Is Defeated
August 3, 1492: Christopher Columbus Sets Sail For The New World
September 8, 1429: Joan Of Arc Attacks Paris - September 8, 1664: New Amsterdam Becomes New York
September 10, 1608: John Smith Is Elected To Lead Jamestown
September 11, 2001: The 9/11 Attacks Take Place
September 12, 1683: The Battle Of Vienna Ends Ottoman (Muslim) Domination In Eastern Europe
September 13, 1574: The Muslim Conquest of Tunis
September 15, 1254: Marco Polo Is Born
September 16, 1620: The Mayflower departs Plymouth, England, with 102 Pilgrims and about 30 crew for the New World
September 17, 1862: The Battle Of Antietam Begins
September 21, 1780: Benedict Arnold Commits Treason
September 22 1975: Radical Leftist Sara Jane Moore Attempts To Assassinate President Gerald Ford
September 23, 1779 John Paul Jones wins in English waters
September 26, 1777: British Forces Occupy Philadelphia
September 26, 1983: Stanislav Petrov Prevents The Outbreak Of Nuclear War
September 30, 1888: Jack The Ripper Murders His Third And Fourth Victims
October 3, 1995: O.J. Simpson Is Acquitted
October 4, 1582: The Gregorian Calendar Is Introduced
October 7, 1913: Henry Ford's Moving assembly line debuts at Ford factory
1967: Che Guevara Is CapturedOctober 9, 1967: Che Guevara became a good Communist
On This Day In History: Charles Martel Defeats The Muslim Invasion Of Europe - October 10, 732 AD
October 12, 1492: Christopher Columbus Reaches The “New World”
October 16, 1793: The Queen Of France, Marie Antoinette Is Executed

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