A Brief History
On December 24, 1913, someone, either as a prank or as an evil way of messing with the crowd, yelled, “Fire!” in the crowded Italian Hall in Calumet, Michigan. The Christmas party turned tragic when 73 people died in the crush to escape the false fire.
Digging Deeper
When discussing “Freedom of Speech,” the example of falsely calling out “Fire!” in a crowded place is often cited as an exception. Some other exceptions include:
Counterfeit currency.
False advertising and speech that is copyrighted or otherwise owned by another.
False statements, which include Slander and Libel, the spoken or written false statements about someone or some institution that is injurious to that person or entity, and lying to cheat, steal, or defraud, including perjury.
Incitement to violence or suicide, such as goading someone into committing a crime, assault, or suicide.
Threats, especially to the President of the US.
And other cases relating to government employment or operation.
Question for students (and subscribers): Can you think of any other exceptions? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Doyle, Andrew. Free Speech And Why It Matters: Why It Matters. Constable, 2022.
Lehto, Steve. Death’s Door: The Truth Behind Michigan’s Largest Mass Murder. Momentum Books, 2006.
The featured image in this article, a photograph by John William Nara (1874–1934), is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1928.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
