Energy Atlas

How The World Is Powered
Milestones

First Nuclear Chain Reaction

1942

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On 2 December 1942, in a squash court beneath the stands of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago, the reactor called Chicago Pile-1 went critical under the direction of Enrico Fermi: the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Energy from the atomic nucleus passed that afternoon from theory to engineering.

Facts
Milestone Year
1942 1
Milestone Date
1942-12-02 1
Location
University of Chicago, Illinois, United States 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Credited To

Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.View the Source
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