On this day in 1995, businessman Aaron Feuerstein (1925–2021) marked his seventieth birthday at Boston’s Café Budapest. The owner of Malden Mills had every reason to celebrate. His company’s fabric innovation, Polartec, had reached remarkable success, and annual sales were soaring.

Later that night, he learned that his Massachusetts factory had burned to the ground. “This was not a tragedy of money,” he said. “It was that everything I wanted to accomplish in business was burning down in front of my eyes.”

What he chose next would define him. Instead of closing the mill or releasing workers, Feuerstein announced that every employee would continue to receive full pay and benefits, including their traditional Christmas bonus. The decision stunned the nation. “It would have been unconscionable to put three thousand people on the streets,” he said.

The fire brought countless challenges. Insurance payments stalled. Bills mounted. Payroll needed to be met. Yet he continued. “Have a determination that is strong enough to move walls,” he said. For him, ethics were not a strategy. They were a way of being.

Twenty-one months later, at the dedication of the rebuilt mill, he gave quiet thanks. “I thank you, majestic God of the universe, for restoring to Malden Mills and its employees our life and soul.”

Looking back on those years, Feuerstein said he had only acted according to what felt true. “I created the spark, the hope, the will to overcome,” he reflected. “That was my purpose in life, I discovered. Being good.”