The 1916 fire that burned Parliament down

A small waste basket fire ended up burning down Canada's first Parliament building in Ottawa on February 3, 1916. But without the fire, the current Parliament wouldn't exist. There is one part of the original building that still survives: the Library of Parliament, which was saved from the flames by the quick thinking of the library's clerk. Rebuilding efforts began almost immediately after the fire was put out, with the new Centre Block completed in 1920 and the Peace Tower a couple years afterwards.