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When was the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction achieved at the University of Chicago?
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atomic bomb
The first atomic bomb test, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, July 16, 1945.
The first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was achieved on December 2, 1942, at the University of Chicago.123
Led by physicist Enrico Fermi, the team conducted this experiment in a squash court located under the stands of the university's Stagg Field. The device used for this milestone, known as Chicago Pile No. 1 (CP-1), was a graphite-moderated reactor designed to further the research goals of the Manhattan Project. This achievement was a critical step in understanding nuclear fission and developing the technology necessary for atomic bombs.231