On February 18, 1982, the sequence of events that came to be known as the Chicago Tylenol poisonings was already underway: over the following days, seven people in the Chicago metropolitan area died after ingesting Extra-Strength Tylenol (acetaminophen) capsules that had been deliberately contaminated with potassium cyanide. Investigators later determined that the pills had been opened, the contents replaced with cyanide, and then resealed—actions that transformed an otherwise common over-the-counter pain reliever into a lethal product. The deaths attracted intense media attention and public fear because the tampering occurred at retail rather than in manufacturing, making the threat appear random and hard to control. Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Tylenol, issued nationwide warnings, recalled an estimated 31 million bottles of Tylenol with a retail value of over $100 million, and suspended advertising while cooperating with law enforcement. The company also introduced new safety measures, including tamper-evident packaging such as foil seals and glued box linings, which became industry standard. Federal and local investigators from the FBI, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Chicago law enforcement conducted an extensive but ultimately inconclusive probe. Despite numerous leads, tips, and suspects over the years, no one was ever convicted for the poisonings; the case remains officially unsolved. Investigators later identified at least one individual—James William Lewis—who sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson demanding $1 million to stop the killings; he pleaded guilty to extortion and was imprisoned, but authorities did not link him conclusively to the tampering itself. The immediate public-health and regulatory consequences were substantial. The FDA accelerated rules and guidance requiring tamper-evident packaging for many over-the-counter medications. Retailers and manufacturers reassessed product security and crisis response protocols. The Tylenol case became a seminal incident in corporate crisis management: Johnson & Johnson’s swift recall, transparent communications, and eventual reintroduction of the product with new safety features are widely cited in business and public-health literature as an effective model. Beyond packaging and corporate responses, the incident intensified media coverage of product safety and consumer vulnerability. It also prompted changes in law enforcement practices for investigating product tampering and new criminal statutes in some jurisdictions aimed at addressing deliberate contamination. Public behavior shifted too: consumers became more cautious about sealed packaging and wary of purchased goods, particularly medicines. Although the primary criminal case remains unsolved, the legacy of the 1982 Tylenol poisonings is clear: the tragedy exposed a new and frightening form of criminality—randomized retail tampering of consumer products—and drove lasting changes in packaging standards, industry practices, and public expectations for product safety. Sources: contemporaneous news reporting from Chicago-area outlets and national media in 1982, federal and local law-enforcement summaries, and subsequent regulatory histories of the FDA and Johnson & Johnson. Details that remain disputed or unresolved (including the identity of the tamperer) are noted in official records and reporting.