The original Globe Theatre was built by Lord Chamberlain's Men, Shakespeare's playing company, in 1599 in London. This theatre was a three-story, open-air amphitheatre that could hold up to 3,000 spectators. On June 29, 1613, the Globe was destroyed by a fire during a performance of King Henry VIII. When the actors fired a cannon loaded with gunpowder and wadding, the theatre's thatched roof caught on fire. Since the Globe Theatre was made of wood, the fire moved quickly and the audience had to frantically try to scurry out of the theatre's only entrance. In 1614, the Globe was rebuilt and then soon demolished again in 1644 by the Puritans due to the English Puritan Parliament that banned all stage plays in theatres. Sadly, even after the Puritans lost their power, all theatres opened up again besides the Globe, which was never re-built.
