The year 1942 in science and technology involved some significant events, listed below.

Exploration

Physics

• December 2 - Chicago Pile-1, the first nuclear reactor, goes critical under the squash court of the University of Chicago, thanks to the efforts of Enrico Fermi, Leo Szilard, and the rest of the Chicago pile team.

Births

• January 8 - Stephen Hawking, British physicist and best-selling author of A Brief History of Time.

Deaths