Step right up to one of the darkest days in circus history. On July 6, 1944, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus came to Hartford, Connecticut, promising a day of wonder under the Big Top. Instead, it became a nightmare.

On this episode of Hometown MACABRE we uncover the tragedy of the Hartford Circus Fire—a blaze that consumed the tent in minutes, leaving 168 dead and hundreds injured. We'll explore the mysterious cause of the fire, the haunting story of "Little Miss 1565," and the shocking negligence that turned this beloved American tradition into a deadly disaster.

Was it arson, an accident, or something more sinister? Tune in as we sift through the ashes of one of America’s most chilling catastrophes.

🖤✨ Macabre: A Dark History Podcast—where we uncover the stories history tried to bury.

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Sources:

Tears of a Clown

Mystery of the Hartford Circus Fire

https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticutmagazine/news-people/article/Accident-or-Arson-The-Hartford-Circus-Fire-75-17044694.php

https://connecticuthistory.org/the-hartford-circus-fire/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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