Did a Cow Really Cause the Great Chicago Fire of 1871? mentalfloss.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mentalfloss.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
On this day in history, Oct. 8, 1871, a terrible fire broke out on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, killing 300 people and leaving a third of the city's population homeless.