What happened to the Aggie Bonfire?
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Published in Daily Trivia
The Aggie Bonfire was a long-standing tradition at Texas A&M University as part of the college rivalry with the University of Texas at Austin. For 90 years, Texas A&M students -- known as Aggies --built and burned a bonfire on campus each autumn. The bonfire remained a thriving tradition for decades until, in 1999, a collapse during construction killed twelve people and injured twenty-seven others. The accident led to a hiatus on an official Bonfire. However, since 2002, a student-sponsored coalition has constructed an annual unsanctioned, off-campus "Student Bonfire" in the spirit of its predecessor.