On Monday, December 1, 1958, a fire broke out at Our Lady of Angels school in Chicago, shortly before classes were to be dismissed for the day. The fire originated in the basement near the foot of a stairway. The elementary schoolhad an enrollment of approximately 1600 students. A total of 92 pupils and 3 nuns ultimately died when smoke, heat, fire, and toxic gases cut off their normal means of egress through corridors and stairways. Many more were injured when they jumped from second-floor windows. The disaster led to major improvements in standards for school design and fire safety codes.
Members of the Chicago Fire Department performed heroically at this fire to save as many children as possible.