When did the first nuclear reactor start?
Quick Answer
The first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was achieved on 2 December 1942 in a reactor called Chicago Pile-1, built under the stands of a stadium at the University of Chicago.
The Full Story
On 2 December 1942 a team led by physicist Enrico Fermi produced the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. The reactor, known as Chicago Pile-1, was a rough stack of graphite blocks and uranium built in a squash court beneath the universitys athletic stadium. It had no radiation shielding and no cooling system, and control rods coated in cadmium were used to absorb neutrons and keep the reaction in check. The experiment ran for only a few minutes at very low power, but it proved that nuclear energy could be harnessed. The breakthrough underpinned both nuclear weapons and later nuclear power stations.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The Reactor Under the Stadium — Dawn of the Nuclear Age"