This Day In History

 

October 8,  1871

On October 8, 1871, flames spark in the Chicago barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, igniting a two-day blaze that kills between 200 and 300 people, destroys 17,450 buildings, leaves 100,000 homeless and causes an estimated $200 million in damages (more than $5.4 billion in 2026).

Taken from: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-8/great-chicago-fire-begins