On December 1, 1958, 95 people, including 92 students and three nuns, died as a result of the fire, which remains among the worst school fires in United States history.
The fire is believed to have started in a basement stairwell. The brick structure had an interior made completely of wood, and it had no sprinklers and only a single fire escape.
The tragedy brought about sweeping changes in school building fire codes nationwide.
