May 15, 1929 – A fire at the Cleveland Clinic kills 123. Flammable nitrocellulose X-ray film ignited in a basement storage room, emitting a poisonous yellowish-brown gas which spread throughout much of the Clinic and subsequently exploded several times. The fire claimed 123 lives including that of one of the Clinic's founders, Dr. John Phillips. Most of the deaths from the fire were due to toxic inhalation. Many were immediate; some were delayed by hours or even days. A policeman, Ernest Staab, rescued 21 victims from the fire, and left the scene, seemingly in good health. Didja know? Patrolman Staab later collapsed while working on his lawn and was hospitalized, but contrary to many contemporaneous newspaper articles survived and worked for the police department for another 25 years.