Every third day of April, Americans celebrate Circus Day to remember the first circus performance to ever happen in the United States.

Way back in 1793, British equestrian John Bill Ricketts introduced the circus to a roofless arena in Philadelphia, and the show featured himself, a trick rider, an acrobat, a rope-walker, an equestrian and a clown.

The circus scene flourished since then, including the precautions and safety measures for performers and audiences that significantly improved over the years. 

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But despite the safety protocols implemented in circus performances, some accidents are inevitable. To mark this year's Circus Day, here are some of the worst circus tragedies to ever happen in history.

1. Tyke the Elephant

 

The tragedy that involved Tyke, a 20-year-old female African elephant, and her trainer happened on a scheduled show in Honolulu in August 1994.

Tyke, who was allegedly abused for many years, went on a rampage and killed her trainer in front of a horrified crowd. After that, she escaped from the arena and ran wild through Kaka'ako before she was shot to death by the police.

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2. Hartford Circus Fire

 

On July 6, 1944, 167 people of the 7,000 attendees were killed during a tragic circus fire in Hartford, Connecticut. A small fire began on the roof of the circus tent where the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus were performing.

Because the tent was coated with wax and gasoline for waterproofing, the fire spread swiftly, causing the tent to collapse in less than ten minutes. 

3. Massarti the Lion Tamer

In January 1872, Thomas Macarte died a horrible death after performing as Massarti, the one-armed lion tamer, in Bolton, England.

After an Asiatic lion named Tyrant attacked Macarte, the others followed suit while the audience watched him as he was "torn to pieces" and "wounded unto death."

4. The Wallendas' High-Wire Fall

 

In 2017, the famed Wallenda family, known for their high-wire stunts, lost their balance while practicing with no safety net. Five members of the eight-piece act plunged several stories to the ground.

One of them was severely injured and "broke every bone in her face" and it had to be put together using three plates and 72 screws.

Through the years, the Wallenda family experienced tragedy after tragedy with their "death-defying" acts. In 1936, Willie Walenda fell to his death from a high-wire bicycle ride.

Meanwhile, Karl Wallenda was put in a wheelchair for life after an accident at the Shrine Circus in January 1962.

5. Hagenbeck-Wallace Train Wreck

On June 22, 1918, "one of the country's most deadly train crashes" happened in Hammond, Indiana, leaving 56 members of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus dead.

At about 4 a.m., when everyone was asleep while their circus convoy train had stopped on the tracks in Hammond, an empty troop train barrelled at them from behind at around 30 miles/hour because its engineer had fallen asleep at the throttle. 

6. Sarah Guyard-Guillot

In June 2013, the "Cirque du Soleil" acrobat plunged to her death while performing the production of "Kà" at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. She died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She was 31.

While Guyard-Guillot was hoisted at a vertical stage, the wire rope that kept her safe was severed, making her fall to her death from a height of 94 feet, in full sight of the audience, who had no idea that it was no longer part of the show.

7. Dessi España 

The 32-year-old Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performer fell 30 feet onto a concrete floor during a show at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, on May 22, 2004.

The tragedy happened while España was hanging by her legs on a scarf when it loosened, leading to her fall. She performed with no harness or net at the time.

She died later that night from the injuries she sustained.

8. Providence Hair Hangers

In May 2014, 45 minutes into the "Legends" show of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, a platform collapsed during an aerial hair-hanging act.

This tragedy left eight acrobats from the human chandelier injured after plummeting to the ground while their audience watched in horror. A dancer waiting below also suffered a serious injury.

Tags: Circus accidents American Circus Day