Location: Boston, Massachusetts (1919) 🌎
Story:On an unseasonably warm January day, a giant tank containing 2.3 million gallons of molasses, used for rum production, burst. A 25-foot-high wave of sticky syrup, moving at 35 mph, swept through the North End. It demolished buildings, crushed freight cars, and drowned 21 people. Horses and people were stuck like flies in glue. 🥃
Twist:The disaster led to one of the first major class-action lawsuits. The families of the victims sued the United States Industrial Alcohol Company. After years of hearings, investigators proved the company had ignored warning signs, used substandard materials, and failed to test the tank. The verdict set a precedent for corporate negligence and modern regulation. For decades, locals claimed the neighborhood still smelled of molasses on hot days. 🌞