Daniel Burnham
The visionary architect and planner who gave Chicago its majestic skyline and convinced America that its cities could be grand, orderly, and beautiful.
1846–1912 (age 66)·American architect and urban designer (1846– 1912)·Birthday: September 4
Biography
Daniel Burnham had no time for small dreams. After a shaky start, his partnership with John Wellborn Root formed the engine of the Chicago School of architecture. Following the Great Fire of 1871, they helped rebuild the city's commercial heart with innovative steel-frame structures like the Rookery and the Monadnock Building. But Burnham’s legacy is one of scale. As Director of Works for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, he marshaled the nation’s greatest talents to create the 'White City,' a breathtaking neoclassical fantasy that awed millions and set a new standard for civic beauty. He then turned his relentless drive to city planning, co-authoring the 1909 Plan of Chicago, a sweeping blueprint that proposed lakefront parks, grand boulevards, and a coordinated transportation system. While not all his visions were built, his famous dictum—'Make no little plans'—became a mantra for urban ambition, shaping not just Chicago but the very idea of the modern American metropolis.
#1 When Daniel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1846
Daniel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1846Born
1851Started school
1859Became a teenager
1862Could drive
President: Abraham Lincoln
1864Could vote
President: Abraham Lincoln
1867Turned 21
President: Andrew Johnson
1876Turned 30
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1886Turned 40
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1896Turned 50
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1906Turned 60
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Died at 66
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
Key Achievements
- Served as the Director of Works for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, creating the influential 'White City.'
- Co-authored the 1909 Plan of Chicago, one of the first and most comprehensive comprehensive city plans in the United States.
- Designed iconic early skyscrapers including the Flatiron Building in New York City and the Reliance Building in Chicago.
- Founded the influential architectural firm Burnham and Root, later D.H. Burnham & Company.
Did You Know?
He famously failed the entrance exams for both Harvard and Yale and began his career as an apprentice draftsman.
The phrase 'Make no little plans' is widely attributed to him, though its exact origin is debated.
He designed Washington, D.C.'s Union Station, which opened in 1907.
He proposed a sweeping, but unbuilt, plan for the city of San Francisco in 1905.
“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood.”
