Timeline of Past Nightclub Tragedies

Feb. 21 -- The tragedy Thursday at a Rhode Island nightclub echoed previous disasters, such as the horrific 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire, which killed nearly 500 people. Following is a timeline of other club disasters.

April 13, 1928

An explosion and fire killed 40 people at a dance hall above an auto garage in West Plains, Mo.

April 23, 1940

A fire killed 198 people at the Rhythm Night Club in Natchez, Miss., where a crowd had gathered to see a popular swing band. A decoration caught fire and victims tried to escape through the front entrance, the building's only exit.

Nov. 28, 1942

A fire at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston took 492 lives, including many enlisted servicemen preparing to ship out to Europe.

June 24, 1973

A fire killed 32 people at the Upstairs Lounge, a bar in New Orleans' French Quarter. Officials later ruled it a case of arson.

June 30, 1974

A smoky fire at Gulliver's night club in Port Chester, N.Y., killed 24 people, many of whom had difficulty seeing exit signs. Among the dead were two members of the rock band Creation, who interrupted a performance to advise patrons of the fire, which allegedly started in a bowling alley next door.

Oct. 24, 1976

A fire at the Puerto Rican Social Club in the Bronx section of New York killed 25 people and injured 24 others. Witnesses said the blaze was set by a patron who had been expelled from the club.

May 28, 1977

A fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Ky., killed 165 people. Survivors sued, claiming faulty electrical wiring caused the blaze, and settled out of court.

March 25, 1990

A blaze at the tiny, illegal Happy Land Social Club, in the Bronx section of New York trapped most patrons on the second floor and claimed 87 lives, mostly Honduran immigrants.

May 16, 1993

A man shot nine people, killing seven, at Carrillo's Club in Fresno, Calif., after he was kicked out of the nightclub.

Feb. 17, 2003

A stampede at the E2 nightclub on Chicago's South Side killed 21 people.