FACTArchive →
In 1919, Boston was flooded with 2.3 million gallons of molasses moving at 35 mph, killing 21 people in what became known as the Great Molasses Flood.
FACT
@fact5
Dark HistoryFeb 04, 2026

In 1919, Boston was flooded with 2.3 million gallons of molasses moving at 35 mph, killing 21 people in what became known as the Great Molasses Flood.

A tsunami of molasses killed 21 people in Boston. The wave moved 35 mph through city streets. Victims were trapped in sticky syrup 8 feet deep. The flood destroyed buildings and elevated train tracks. Hot weather made cleanup take weeks.

See it on Facebook →← All facts
Share → X Reddit WhatsApp Threads Facebook
Spot an error? Email hello@thefact5.com with a source — we correct visibly.
KEEP SCROLLING

More strange facts ✦

The Forgotten Disaster
FACT
@fact5
Dark History
The Forgotten Disaster
The Men Who Broke the Rules and Lived
FACT
@fact5
Dark History
The Men Who Broke the Rules and Lived
The Hose That Didn't Fit
FACT
@fact5
Dark History
The Hose That Didn't Fit
On June 15, 1904, the steamboat General Slocum caught fire in New York's East River during a church picnic outing, killing an estimated 1,021 of the 1,358 passengers — mostly German immigrant women and children from the Little Germany neighborhood — after Captain William Van Schaick ran the boat aground at North Brother Island.
FACT
@fact5
Dark History
On June 15, 1904, the steamboat General Slocum caught fire in New York's East River during a church picnic outing, killing an estimated 1,021 of the 1,358 passengers — mostly German immigrant women and children from the Little Germany neighborhood — after Captain William Van Schaick ran the boat aground at North Brother Island.
A homeless man in Boston returned a backpack containing $42,000 in cash and the grateful owner gave him an apartment and job
FACT
@fact5
Heartwarming Humanity
A homeless man in Boston returned a backpack containing $42,000 in cash and the grateful owner gave him an apartment and job
The Dog Who Walked Upright
FACT
@fact5
Animal Oddities
The Dog Who Walked Upright
The Unbreakable Window
FACT
@fact5
Ironic Twists
The Unbreakable Window
The Soap Lady
FACT
@fact5
Creepy Discoveries
The Soap Lady
Mike the Headless Chicken
FACT
@fact5
Animal Oddities
Mike the Headless Chicken
Phone to Porsche
FACT
@fact5
Bizarre Human Behavior
Phone to Porsche
The Bone Chandelier
FACT
@fact5
Creepy Discoveries
The Bone Chandelier
The Stationmaster Cat
FACT
@fact5
Animal Oddities
The Stationmaster Cat
🎲 Surprise me with another