On that day, mostly women garment workers were locked into their workplace on the eighth, ninth and 10th floors as usual.

On March 25, a fire broke out. The Fire Dempartment arrived, but their ladders only reached to the sixth floor.

Sixty-two workers jumped to their deaths to avoid being burned to death. A man and a woman were seen kissing before they both jumped to their deaths. In all, 146 people died in the fire.

The owners survived by escaping to the roof.

The tragedy at the Greenwich Village, New York factory resulted in women flocking to labor organizations, including the Women’s Trade Union League and the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU).

The fire also inspired strong health and safety laws in New York state and elsewhere.

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TRIANGLE FIRE PLAQUE

On this site, 146 workers lost their lives in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire on March 25, 1911. Out of their martyrdom came new concepts of social responsibility and labor legislation that have helped make American working conditions the finest in the world.

INTERNATIONAL LADIES’ GARMENT WORKERS’ UNION