Richmond, Virginia

Historical eventDecember 261811

Richmond, Virginia

Seventy-two people died when a theater in Richmond, Virginia, was destroyed by fire, becoming the worst urban disaster in American history at the time.

Everything on December 26Original source

In context

When
Thursday, December 26 1811215 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1810s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1811.

What happened

Seventy-two people died when a theater in Richmond, Virginia, was destroyed by fire, becoming the worst urban disaster in American history at the time.

December 26 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1811Richmond, Virginia
  2. 20032003 Bam earthquake
  3. 2004Orange Revolution
  4. 20042004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
  5. 20062006 Hengchun earthquakes
  6. 2012High-speed rail in China
  7. 2013Yakovlev Corporation
  8. 20152015 Garland tornado
  9. 20212021 Garland shooting
  10. 2025Israel
  11. 2025Israel–Somaliland relations

Also in 1811

  • July 9David Thompson (explorer)British explorer David Thompson posted a notice at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers (in modern Washington state, U.S.), cl…
  • November 28Ludwig van BeethovenBeethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 premiered at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.
  • July 30Miguel Hidalgo y CostillaMiguel Hidalgo y Costilla (depicted), a leader of the Mexican War of Independence, was executed by Spanish forces in Chihuahua City, Mexico.
  • December 161811–1812 New Madrid earthquakesThe first two in a series of four severe earthquakes struck the Midwestern United States and made the Mississippi River appear to run bac…
  • November 7Tecumseh's WarTecumseh's War: American forces led by William Henry Harrison defeated the forces of Shawnee leader Tecumseh's growing confederation at t…
  • May 20Charles Marsh SchombergA British squadron under Charles Marsh Schomberg defeated a French force off Tamatave, Madagascar, that was attempting to reinforce the F…
  • February 19Peninsular WarPeninsular War: Outnumbered French forces under Édouard Mortier routed and nearly destroyed Spanish troops at the Battle of the Gebora ne…
  • May 16Peninsular WarPeninsular War: Allied British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces clashed with French troops at the Battle of Albuera fought south of Badajo…

Everything we record for 1811 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Richmond, Virginia”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/richmond-virginia-1811-december-26, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Richmond, Virginia happen?

December 26 1811 — 215 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.