Argonne History - 1950's
EBR-I light bulbs
This simple string of four 100-watt light bulbs is powered by the first useful electricity ever produced by nuclear power, generated on Dec. 20, 1951, by Argonne's Experimental Breeder Reactor 1. The next day, 100 watts were generated. About the power plant: The Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) achieved many benchmarks during its 14 years of operation. In 1953, it was the first reactor to demonstrate the breeder principle -- generating, or "breeding," more nuclear fuel than it consumed. It was the first, in November 1962, to achieve a chain reaction with plutonium; and the first to demonstrate the feasibility of using liquid metals at high temperatures as a reactor coolant. EBR-I gained National Historic Landmark status in 1966. More about the EBR-I reactor » Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory
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EBR-I light bulbs
This simple string of four 100-watt light bulbs is powered by the first useful electricity ever produced by nuclear power, generated on Dec. 20, 1951, by Argonne's Experimental Breeder Reactor 1. The next day, 100 watts were generated. About the power plant: The Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) achieved many benchmarks during its 14 years of operation. In 1953, it was the first reactor to demonstrate the breeder principle -- generating, or "breeding," more nuclear fuel than it consumed. It was the first, in November 1962, to achieve a chain reaction with plutonium; and the first to demonstrate the feasibility of using liquid metals at high temperatures as a reactor coolant. EBR-I gained National Historic Landmark status in 1966. More about the EBR-I reactor » Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory
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EBR-1 start
Built and operated for 15 years by Argonne National Laboratory, Experimental Breeder Reactor 1 (EBR-1) achieved a number of historical firsts and spawned a huge international industry that today plays a major role in meeting the world's energy needs. Housed in a small building on a wind-swept Idaho plain, EBR-1 was the first nuclear reactor to produce useful electricity – enough to power a simple string of four 100-watt light bulbs on Dec. 20, 1951. The next day, EBR-1's output was boosted to 100 kilowatts, enough to power all of its own electrical equipment. During its 15-year career, EBR-1 was the site of two other historical firsts: • June 4, 1953 – world's first reactor to demonstrate the breeding of plutonium from uranium. • Nov. 27, 1962 – world's first reactor to produce electricity with a plutonium core. On December 30, 1963, its scientific mission complete, EBR-I was officially shut down, but its career was not over. On Aug. 26, 1966, 15,000 people watched President Lyndon B. Johnson preside over ceremonies that designated the retired reactor a Registered Historical National Monument.
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Chalkboard depicting first atomic electricity
Those present at the world's first generation of a useable amount of electricity from nuclear power commemorated the event in chalk on the concrete wall at Experimental Breeder Reactor 1. Courtesy Argonne National Laboratory
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Chicago Pile-3 Site A
Courtesy Argonne National Laboratory
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1952 Softball history at Argonne
A news article on the 1952 Argonne Softball Team.
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AVIDAC -- First Argonne Computer (1953)
AVIDAC, Argonne's first digital computer, began operation in January 1953. It was built by the Physics Division for $250,000. Pictured is pioneer Argonne computer scientist Jean F. Hall. AVIDAC stands for Argonne Version of the Institute's Digital Automatic Computer and was based on the IAS architecture developed by John von Neumann. Courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.
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AVIDAC - Argonne's first computer
AVIDAC was Argonne's first digital computer. Designed and built by Argonne's Physics Division for $250,000, it began operations Jan. 28, 1953. Image courtesy Argonne National Laboratory
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Pine trees
On March 16, 1953, Argonne planted the first of one million pine trees on its new campus in southeastern DuPage County, Ill. This early example of environmental stewardship was part of a three-year project that would eventually convert Argonne's Illinois site from farmland to forest.
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Submarine reactor program
The Jan. 21, 1954, launch of the U.S.S. Nautilus, the world's first atomic-powered submarine, was the culmination of six years of planning, design, execution and testing by organizations throughout the country, including Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne scientists and engineers developed the initial concept, created the basic design of the nuclear and steam power plant that pioneered the use of nuclear power in naval vessels. Argonne's work on the reactor's design began early in 1948 with the creation of a new Naval Reactor Division with groups focused on nuclear engineering, heat engineering, mechanical design and materials development. To meet Navy specifications, Argonne selected a uranium-fueled reactor with high-pressure, high-temperature water as the heat exchange medium for transferring nuclear heat to the boiler of the steam turbine propulsion plant. As design work advanced, Argonne built and tested some of the reactor components. Courtesy Argonne National Laboratory
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Argonne history: At the controls of Chicago Pile-3
Fred Cokeing, pile operator with the longest experience at the lab, operates the controls as CP-3 makes its last irradiation. The Laboratory Director (Walter Zinn), who first made this machine critical May 15, 1944, presses the button which closes it down for good. More Argonne history » Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory. Neg. No. 201-663
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Chicago Pile 5
Argonne held its first open house March 20, 1954, to show off Chicago Pile 5, the nation's newest nuclear reactor. From 1954 to 1979, Chicago Pile 5 was a national center for materials research, providing beams of neutrons to researchers from all over the nation.
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BORAX III Reactor
Mr. Meyer Novick, director of the Idaho Division of Argonne National Laboratory, stands beside the turbine generator of BORAX III. BORAX III was a boiling-water reactor operated by Argonne at its Idaho location. Here, Novick turns the valve to release steam from the BORAX reactor into the turbine, which drives 2,500 kw capacity generator shown at right. On July 17, 1955, Argonne National Laboratory's BORAX III reactor provided all the electricity for Arco, Idaho, the first time any community's electricity was provided entirely by nuclear energy. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.
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Chicago Pile-3 Demolition
November 7, 1955 Courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.
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Arco becomes first
On July 17, 1955, Arco, Idaho, population 1,200, became the world's first community to have all its electrical power provided by nuclear energy. The power was generated by Argonne's BORAX III reactor.
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Experimental Boiling Water Reactor
Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR), shown here in 1956, was the nation's first nuclear reactor built solely for research on electrical power generation. During its operating lifetime from December 1956 to July 1967, EBWR proved that a direct cycle boiling water reactor system could operate, even at power levels five times its rated heat output, without serious radioactive contamination of the steam turbine. EBWR, operated with a largely plutonium core, provided valuable information on plutonium recycle operation of water reactors—it generated plutonium-based electricity for Argonne's physical plant in 1966. When closed down the following year, EBWR had established a reputation as the forerunner of many commercial nuclear energy plants. One of those is the Commonwealth Edison facility at Dresden, Ill., which in 1960, became the first privately operated nuclear energy plant.
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Walter Zinn, CP-5 Spectrometer
Walter Zinn, the first director of Argonne and a pioneer in nuclear physics and reactor development, observing a Chicago Pile-5 spectrometer. This reactor was a research workhorse, providing neutrons for experiments on the structure and behavior of materials. It started operation in 1954 and was used until 1979. Technicians for Illinois’ first commercial power plants were trained at CP-5. Image courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Researchers work on CP-5
Above: Researchers working on CP-5. Argonne's Chicago Pile 5 reactor was a research workhorse, providing neutrons for experiments on the structure and behavior of materials. It started operation in 1954 and was used until 1979. Technicians for Illinois’ first commercial power plants were trained at CP-5. Image courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Chicago Pile-5
CP-5 was the fifth and last member of the distinguished family of "Chicago Pile" reactors. Image courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory
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Marshall Islanders test
Seven natives of the Marshall Islands arrived at Argonne April 4, 1957, for measurements of their body levels of radioactivity. Six had been accidentally exposed to radioactive fallout following a nuclear weapons test March 1, 1954, at the Pacific Proving Grounds. The test found their levels of radioactive materials in their bodies to be well within those widely considered safe.
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Zero Gradient Synchrotron Cockcroft-Walton preaccelerator
With the 1957 development of the Zero Gradient Synchrotron, Argonne became a user-oriented laboratory accessible to all sectors of society. Albert Crewe (right), Argonne director from 1961 to 1967, explains the ZGS's Cockroft-Walton preaccelerator. Photo courtesy Argonne National Laboratory.
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Bob Hope and remote manipulators
Bob Hope was a guest during the press review of the American Pavilion at the 1957 Paris Fair in France. When guests were served champagne, he drank his from the "hand" of an electronically controlled manipulator, one of two that Argonne contributed to the fair.
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Queen Frederika of Greece
Queen Frederika of Greece visited Argonne's Illinois site, hosted by Argonne Director Norman Hilberry, on Nov. 5, 1958.