1874 the chicago fire of 1874 burns down 47 acres of the city de 07 14
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1874 152 years ago Selected Events July 14

A fire destroyed 812 structures and killed 20 people in Chicago, leading to reforms in the city's fire-prevention and firefighting efforts.

On July 14, in the year 1874, A fire destroyed 812 structures and killed 20 people in Chicago, leading to reforms in the city's fire-prevention and firefighting efforts. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of July 14, one of 267 recorded events on this date across all of history.

The Chicago Fire of 1874 took place on July 14. Reports of the extent of the damage vary somewhat, but sources generally agree that the fire burned 47 acres (19 ha) just south of the Loop, destroyed 812 structures and killed 20 people. The affected neighborhood had been home to Chicago's community of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland, as well as to a significant population of middle-class African-American families; both ethnic groups were displaced in the aftermath of the fire to other neighborhoods on the city's West and South Sides.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on July 14, 1874 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 1 Wikipedia article.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 19 November 2025.

On This Date in History 267

Type Year Date Event
Notable Deaths 2025 Jul 14 B. Saroja Devi, Indian actress (born 1938)
Notable Deaths 2025 Jul 14 Andrea Gibson, American poet and activist (born 1975)
Notable Deaths 2025 Jul 14 John MacArthur, American evangelical preacher (born 1939)
Notable Deaths 2025 Jul 14 Fauja Singh, British-Indian centenarian marathon runner
Notable Deaths 2024 Jul 14 Jacoby Jones, American football player (born 1984)
Notable Deaths 2022 Jul 14 Ivana Trump, Czech-American socialite and model (born 1949)
Notable Deaths 2020 Jul 14 Rosa, Spanish-born cow on French television (born 2001)
Historical Events 2019 Jul 14 A GippsAero GA8 Airvan crashes in Umeå, Sweden, killing all nine aboard.
Notable Deaths 2017 Jul 14 Maryam Mirzakhani, Iranian mathematician (born 1977)
Historical Events 2016 Jul 14 A man ploughs a truck into a Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France, killing 86 people and injuring another 434…
Selected Events 2016 Jul 14 A man deliberately drove a truck into crowds in Nice, France, resulting in 86 deaths.
Historical Events 2015 Jul 14 NASA's New Horizons probe performs the first flyby of Pluto, and thus completes the initial survey of the Solar System.
Selected Events 2014 Jul 14 Lightning strikes started four fires in the Methow Valley in the U.S. state of Washington, collectively known as the…
Historical Events 2013 Jul 14 Dedication of statue of Rachel Carson, a sculpture named for the environmentalist, in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Notable Deaths 2005 Jul 14 Cicely Saunders, English hospice founder (born 1918)
Notable Births 2004 Jul 14 Noah Clowney, American basketball player
Notable Births 2003 Jul 14 Haley Winn, American hockey player
Selected Events 2003 Jul 14 Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA operative was leaked to and published by journalist Robert Novak.
Historical Events 2002 Jul 14 French president Jacques Chirac escapes an assassination attempt from Maxime Brunerie during a Bastille Day parade at…
Historical Events 2001 Jul 14 Australian criminal Bradley John Murdoch murders British tourist Peter Falconio and abducted his girlfriend in the…
Historical Events 2001 Jul 14 Rus Flight 9633 crashes during takeoff from Chkalovsky Airport, killing all 10 people on board.
Notable Deaths 2000 Jul 14 Pepo, Chilean cartoonist; creator of Condorito (born 1911)
Notable Deaths 1998 Jul 14 Richard McDonald, American businessman, co-founded McDonald's (born 1909)
Notable Births 1997 Jul 14 Neekolul, American internet personality
Notable Births 1995 Jul 14 Harrison Butker, American football player
Notable Births 1995 Jul 14 Kim In-hyeok, South Korean volleyball player (died 2022)
Notable Births 1994 Jul 14 Lucas Giolito, American baseball player
Notable Deaths 1993 Jul 14 Léo Ferré, Monacan singer-songwriter, pianist, and poet (born 1916)
Notable Deaths 1991 Jul 14 Constance Stokes, Australian painter (born 1906)
Notable Births 1990 Jul 14 Paulo Muacho, Portuguese politician
Notable Births 1988 Jul 14 Conor McGregor, Irish mixed martial artist
Notable Births 1988 Jul 14 Jérémy Stravius, French swimmer
Notable Births 1987 Jul 14 Adam Johnson, English footballer
Notable Births 1987 Jul 14 Dan Reynolds, American singer-songwriter
Selected Events 1987 Jul 14 More than 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain fell in a two-and-a-half-hour period in parts of Montreal, causing severe flooding.
Notable Births 1986 Jul 14 Dan Smith, British singer, songwriter and record producer
Notable Deaths 1986 Jul 14 Raymond Loewy, French-American industrial designer (born 1893)
Notable Births 1985 Jul 14 Darrelle Revis, American football player
Notable Births 1985 Jul 14 Phoebe Waller-Bridge, English actress and screenwriter
Notable Births 1984 Jul 14 Dagbjört Hákonardóttir, Icelandic politician
Notable Births 1984 Jul 14 Samir Handanović, Slovenian footballer
Notable Deaths 1984 Jul 14 Ernest Tidyman, American author and screenwriter; Academy Award winner for The French Connection (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 1984 Jul 14 Philippe Wynne, American soul singer (The Spinners) (born 1941)
Historical Events 1983 Jul 14 Mario Bros. is released in Japan, beginning the popular Super Mario Bros franchise.
Notable Deaths 1980 Jul 14 Carlos López Moctezuma, Mexican actor (born 1909).
Notable Births 1977 Jul 14 Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Notable Births 1975 Jul 14 Tim Hudson, American baseball player
Notable Deaths 1974 Jul 14 Carl Spaatz, American World War II general; commander of the Strategic Air Forces in Europe (born 1891)
Notable Births 1972 Jul 14 Steph Bridge, British World Champion kitesurfer
Notable Births 1971 Jul 14 Bubba Ray Dudley, American professional wrestler

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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