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National Register of Historic Places

First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of

First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of is a historic place in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966, and designated a National Historic Landmark. Its National Register reference number is 66000314.

Chicago, Cook County, IllinoisListed October 15, 1966NRIS #66000314★ National Historic Landmark
Photograph of First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of
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First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of

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About this place

What is First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of?

Chicago Pile-1 (CP-1) was the first artificial nuclear reactor. On 2 December 1942, the first human-made self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was initiated in CP-1 during an experiment led by Enrico Fermi. The secret development of the reactor was the first major technical achievement for the Manhattan Project, the Allied effort to create nuclear weapons during World War II. Developed by the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago, CP-1 was built under the west viewing stands of the original Stagg Field. Although the project's civilian and military leaders had misgivings about the possibility of a disastrous runaway reaction, they trusted Fermi's safety calculations and decided they could carry out the experiment in a densely populated area. Fermi described the reactor as "a crude pile of black bricks and wooden timbers".

Source: Wikipedia, text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Listing details

Name
First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of
City
Chicago
County
Cook County
State
Illinois
Listed on the National Register
October 15, 1966
NRIS reference number
66000314
Resource type
site
National Historic Landmark
Yes
Coordinates
41.79245, -87.60109
When was First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of listed on the National Register?

First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

Where is First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of located?

First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of is located in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois at approximately 41.79245, -87.60109. See the map above.

Is First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. First Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction, Site of is designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest federal recognition for a historic place.

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