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Remembering the Triangle Fire

99th anniversary today

by
Marc Tracy
March 25, 2010
Rendering of the building, from which 50 women jumped to their deaths.(Wikipedia.)
Rendering of the building, from which 50 women jumped to their deaths.(Wikipedia.)

Today is the 99th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. In 1911, 146 garment workers—primarily Jews and Italians—died in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, just east of Manhattan’s Washington Square, because management had locked the doors. The worst U.S. workplace disaster until 9/11, it prompted an outcry and paved the way, ultimately, to wider acceptance of workers’ rights.

The Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition has an event at Washington Square’s Judson Memorial Church at 6:30 this evening.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.