Triangle Shirtwaist fire kills 146 in New York City

On this day in US history, one of the darkest moments in America’s industrial history occurred when the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory caught fire on March 25, 1911. Due to a major lack of safety measures (such as no sprinkler systems installed), 146 workers were killed in the blaze. While the tragedy will go down as one of the worst in US history, it led to a series of laws and regulations being implemented that protect the safety of factory workers.