In 1922, a president declared this day to honor the Great Chicago Fire
Following a presidential proclamation in 1922, North America began commemorating the devastating Great Chicago Fire to transform a national tragedy into a vital lesson in public safety and fire prevention.
President Warren G. Harding declared the first Fire Prevention Day in 1922 to mark the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. That historic blaze destroyed over 17,000 structures and left 100,000 people homeless, proving that urban centers were tragically unprepared for disaster.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 3-question quiz