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As a Chicagoan you should know that The Hancock building was NOT the first time Chicago had the tallest building.

"Skyscrapers" were invented in Chicago. For a good history of how times Chicago has had the world's tallest building, go down to the Wrigley Building, cross the street and take the tour bus (there are plenty of other boarding points, but that is the most central).

You'll also learn how, until Boeing built B747 hangar at Everett, Chicago had the largest building by volume, you'll hear how some windows did "pop" on the Sears Tower (but not as many as popped on a certain building in Boston) and youll learn a great deal more about the fantastic city in which you were born

If you mean "pop" as in pop out and glass shattered to the ground, then I haven't heard ANYTHING about that or knowing the chicago news channels I would've heard something about it. As far as the first tallest building in Chi Town, it was taught to us in school that it was the John Hancock building. Not saying you're wrong but that was what was taught to us.

well they got the cunts for trying to blow it up,thank god.

I understand that revolving doors were invented becaue of the back draught problem created by skyscrapers.

Mart

In 1889 St Pancras Chambers London tied with the Auditorium Building, Chicago, as the world's tallest building at 269 ft. The Chicago building was considered "larger" because it housed 17 floors, against the 9 floors of the London building.

In 1891 the Monadnock Building's northern half became the last tall office building (197 feet) built solely dependant on the load bearing capabilities of the masonry and is considered by many to outrank the Auditorium Building as the whole of the northern part of the Monadnock is to the full height, whereas the bulk of the Auditorium Building is considerably lower than the slender, mainly decorative, tower over the entrance.

Prior to that, in 1884, Chicago claimed the world's first true skyscraper with the Home Insurance Building (demolished 1931) which, whilst it only reached 138 feet was the first building entirely constructed with a steel frame.

1895 saw the Reliance Building as the world's first (and therefore tallest) structure with plate glass curtain walling.

Skyscraper world records then passed to the East Coast until the Sears Tower came along.

The John Hancock Center was the tallest building in the world outside of New York when built in 1969 and thus became Chicago's tallest building until the Sears Building was completed. It is now also outranked by the Aon Center.

The glass falling from the Sears question is interesting. The tour guide mentioned this on the first day, comparing with the glass popping of the Hancock Building in Boston. It was mentioned by another guide on another day (I used the tour buses to move around the town!).

Having said that, the only reference I can find on the Net to glass accidents in Chicago is a 1999 incident at the CNA Center. Did the guides give wrong info or have I transferred the location in my memory?

The 747/777 construction hall at Everett is the world's largest enclosed space by volume.

In my lifetime here in Chi Town I've known of two incidents of falling glass from buildings both within the last 10 years including that one at the CNA building. I believe one lady was either injured or killed in that one and injured her child. Now in the winter time we do have problems with falling ice.

I've only been up the one in the Sears building.