On Christmas Eve in 1851, the largest fire in the history of the Library of Congress wiped out nearly two-thirds of the collection. It destroyed 35,000 out of the library’s 55,000 books at the time, ...

Library of Congress Fire, Dec. 22, 1825. ... On Dec. 24, 1851, the largest fire in the library’s history destroyed 35,000 books, about two-thirds of its 55,000-volume collection.

Two-thirds of Jefferson's books were destroyed in an 1851 fire. Since 1998 the Library of Congress has been re-assembling his books, and they are now on permanent exhibit.

The Library of Congress was established in 1800, and housed in the new Capitol. ... Then, in 1851, fire struck again, this time from a chimney flue in the Capitol Building.

On this day in 1825, the Library of Congress, ... On Dec. 24, 1851, the largest fire in the library’s history destroyed 35,000 books, about two-thirds of its 55,000-volume collection.