1942
1942 is the year the first controlled nuclear chain reaction was achieved.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1942 fits
Why 1942 is special
It ran under the stands of a disused football stadium in Chicago, in a city of three million people, with the only safety measure a man holding an axe beside a rope. The same year, the Beveridge Report laid out the plan for Britain's post-war welfare state.
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 2, 971, 1942
- Prime factorisation
- 2 × 971
- Digit sum
- 16
- Digital root
- 7
Representations
- Decimal
- 1942
- Binary
- 11110010110
- Octal
- 3626
- Hexadecimal
- 796
- Roman numeral
- MCMXLII
- Scientific notation
- 1.942 × 10^3
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
- Semiprime
Related numbers & connections
Fission was discovered in 1938 and the first controlled chain reaction ran in 1942 — four years from an unexplained laboratory result to a working reactor under a stadium.
View 1938 →Other connections
- is associated with1938
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Science
The first controlled chain reaction ran beneath the stands of a disused football stadium in a city of three million, with a man holding an axe by a rope as the emergency system. The Beveridge Report, which framed Britain's post-war welfare state, appeared the same year.
DocumentedSciencePeriod: 1942
Common questions
Is 1942 a prime number?
No, 1942 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1942?
The factors of 1942 are 1, 2, 971, 1942.
What is 1942 in Roman numerals?
1942 in Roman numerals is MCMXLII.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 1 reviewer-confirmed record, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 3 August 2026