Book 25, Question 3
When was the first skyscraper built?
It used a frame of iron and steel, which let buildings grow much taller than thick brick walls could.
Many people call the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, finished in 1885 with ten stories, the first skyscraper. Safe elevators, invented earlier, made people willing to use tall buildings. Soon cities across the world were reaching up.
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Quick answers
When was the first skyscraper built?
The Home Insurance Building, constructed in 1885, is widely considered to be the first skyscraper, though only ten stories tall.
The Kavanagh Building, 31-stories high and complete with central air conditioning and advanced technology, was one of the first reinforced concrete skyscrapers in the world when opened.
Sources: PBS, American Society of Civil Engineers
More fun facts
- Of the 78 1,000-foot-plus skyscrapers in the world, 58 were built since 2000.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine