On March 25, 1911, 146 N.Y. garment workers died in what became known as the “Triangle Fire” — an event that led to changes in everything from building codes to workplace rules to American politics.

On March 25, 1911, my Great Aunt Fannie went to work in a high-rise garment factory in New York City. The workday ended with Fannie Lansner jumping from a ninth-floor window to avoid the scorching ...