Memorial Union Fire

The night of April 20, 1970 an explosion at the University of Kansas Memorial Union started a fire on the upper floors that rages for hours. Eventually ruled as arson and causing millions of dollars in damange, the fire was the culminating act in a day a week of civil unrest in Lawrence that included racial confrontations, student protests, bomb threats, arson, and incidents of sniper fire directed at firefighters. The Lawrence Fire Department and over 100 student volunteers fought the blaze for more than three hours, bringing the fire under control around 2:00 am. You can read more about the fire on KU History.