Julio Antonio Mella, born on this day in 1903, was an activist who, in 1925, co-founded the "internationalized" Cuban Communist Party in Moscow. While organizing for revolution in Mexico, Mella was assassinated by an unknown assailant.

Image: A photo portrait of Julio Mella by Tina Modotti, 1928

On this day in 1931, the Scottsboro Boys were falsely accused of raping white women after fending off a group of white attackers, leading to a national scandal involving lynch mobs, Supreme Court appeals, and the Communist Party.

Image: The Scottsboro Boys, with attorney Samuel Leibowitz (seated left), 1932. From the Morgan County Archives. [blackpast.org]

On this day in 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire took place in New York City. Managers had locked the exits to prevent theft and unauthorized breaks; the fire killed 146 garment workers, mostly young immigrant girls.

Image: A photo of the factory on fire, taken March 25th, 1911. First published on front page of The New York World 1911-03-26 [Wikipedia]