October 16, 1996: The Guatemala City Football Disaster

October 16, 1996: A crowd of 47,000 people attempts to squeeze into the 36,000-seat Estadio Nacional Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, for a 1998 World Cup qualifying match between Guatemala and Costa Rica. As many as 84 people are killed (the number varies, depending on the source, but 84 is the highest figure quoted), and 180 injured. Álvaro Arzú, President of Guatemala, orders that the match be postponed.

Built in 1950, and named for a runner, who won the 1952 Boston Marathon and the 1955 Pan American Games Marathon, Estadio Flores still stands, and remains home to the national team and local club Municipal. Its capacity is now listed at 26,000, and is rigidly enforced. Arzú, who had previously been Mayor of Guatemala City, became its Mayor again, but died in 2018.

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October 16, 1996 was a Wednesday. Game 6 of the National League Championship Series was played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-1, and tied up the series. The Braves won the Pennant the next day. The American League Championship Series had already been wrapped up, with the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles in 5 games.

Football was in midweek. The NBA season didn't start for another 16 days. There were 4 games played in the NHL:

* The New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 8-1 at Madison Square Garden. Alexei Kovalev scored a hat trick.

* The Montreal Canadiens beat the Calgary Flames, 4-2 at the Molson Centre (now the Bell Centre) in Montreal.

* The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 4-3 at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (now the Honda Center).

* And the Florida Panthers and the San Jose Sharks played to a tie, 3-3 at the San Jose Arena (now the SAP Center).