On December 2nd 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi and his colleagues at the University of Chicago successfully obtained the first controlled self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in a former squash court beneath the athletic fields. Visitors to this fine digital collection created by The University of Chicago Library can learn about this event and Fermi through a selection of materials, including...

On December 2, 1942, the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction took place under the squash courts at the University of Chicago. At the helm of this momentous occasion was noted physicist Enrico Fermi. It was a tremendous event and this website pays tribute to his work and legacy. Crafted by librarian Andrea Twiss-Brooks at the University of Chicago, the site contains primary documents related to...