Today in Illinois History
Cities in Illinois: Chicago - Springfield, IL
Historical Events
Events 1 - 55 of 55
1805-06-05 - 1st recorded tornado in "Tornado Alley" (Southern Illinois)
1809-02-03 - Territory of Illinois organizes (including present-day Wisconsin)
1810-03-06 - Illinois passes 1st state vaccination legislation in US
1818-12-03 - Illinois becomes 21st state USA (Admission day)
1832-08-02 - Battle of Bad Axe, Wisconsin: 1,300 Illinois militia defeat Sauk & Fox Native Americans ending the Black Hawk War in the US
1837-11-07 - In Alton, Illinois, abolitionist printer Elijah P. Lovejoy shot dead (age 34) by pro-slavery mob while attempting to protect his printing shop from being destroyed a third time.
1850-05-27 - Mormon Temple in Nauvoo Illinois destroyed by tornado
1854-10-04 - Abraham Lincoln made his 1st political speech at Illinois State Fair
1858-08-21 - 1st Lincoln-Douglas debate (Illinois)
1868-03-02 - University of Illinois opens
1872-03-22 - Illinois becomes 1st state to require sexual equality in employment
US President Abraham Lincoln
1879-01-22 - James Shields (D) elected US senator from Missouri after previously serving as US senator from Illinois & Minnesota
1887-08-10 - Excursion train crashes killing 101. (Chatsworth, Illinois)
1891-04-01 - The Wrigley Company is founded in Chicago, Illinois.
1892-02-02 - Longest boxing match under modern rules; 77 rounds in Nameoki, Illinois between Harry Sharpe & Frank Crosby
1908-08-14 - Race riot in Springfield Illinois
1917-05-27 - Race riot in East St Louis Illinois, 1 black killed
1917-07-01 - Race riots in East St Louis Illinois (40 to 200 reported killed)
1918-06-22 - Circus train rammed by troop train kills 68 (Ivanhoe Illinois)
1919-08-18 - Anti-Cigarette League of America forms in Chicago Illinois
1922-06-22 - Herrin massacre, 19 strikebreakers and 2 union miners are killed in Herrin, Illinois.
1925-11-21 - Red Grange plays final Univ of Illinois game, signs with Chicago Bears
1927-01-07 - Harlem Globetrotters play 1st game (Hinckley, Illinois)
1930-01-22 - -35°F (-37°C), Mount Carroll, Illinois (state record)
1930-02-15 - Weona beats Toluca in Illinois Basketball Tournament in 10 overtimes
1937-03-24 - Bus blew a tire, going out of control, killing 18 (Salem Illinois)
1938-10-15 - Robert Sherwoods "Abe Lincoln in Illinois," premieres in NYC
1942-06-05 - Elwood Ordnance Plant near Joliet Illinois kills 54
1944-03-18 - 2,500 women trample guards & floorwalkers to purchase 1,500 alarm clocks announced for sale in a Chicago Illinois dept store
1946-04-25 - "Exposition Flyer" rammed at Napierville Illinois, killing 48
1946-11-12 - A branch of the Exchange National Bank in Chicago, Illinois opens the first ten drive-up teller windows.
1953-01-19 - Jesse Owens named Illinois Athletic Commission secretary
1954-07-14 - 117°F (47°C), East St Louis, Illinois (state record)
MacDonalds Entreprenuer Ray Kroc
1955-04-15 - Ray Kroc starts McDonald's chain of fast food restaurants (Illinois)
1955-06-27 - 1st automobile seat belt legislation enacted (Illinois)
1957-06-14 - 42.0 cm rain falls on East St Louis, Illinois (state record)
1966-08-27 - Race riot in Waukegan Illinois
1967-07-17 - Race riots in Cairo Illinois
1969-09-23 - Northern Star and Illinois Univ newspaper start rumors that Paul McCartney is dead
1969-10-08 - The opening rally of the Days of Rage occurs, organized by the Weather Underground in Chicago, Illinois.
1970-12-15 - Illinois State Constitution is adopted at a special election.
1971-01-06 - Cecil Partee elected president pro tem of Illinois state senate
1972-09-15 - A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shakes Northern Illinois.
1973-04-09 - Otto Kerner, former governor of Illinois, convicted for his role in an illegal racetrack scheme
1983-10-13 - Ameritech Mobile Communications (now Cingular) launched the first US cellular network in Chicago, Illinois.
1983-10-22 - Two correctional officers are killed by inmates in Marion, Illinois. The incident inspired the Supermax model of prisons.
1984-09-03 - 28 year old Chicagoan wins $40 million in Illinois state lottery
1985-09-22 - Rock and country musicians participate in FarmAid in Champaign, Illinois
1989-04-15 - Then largest lottery in North America ($69M) drawn in Illinois
1990-07-14 - Sara Martin, of Illinois, crowned America's Junior Miss
1993-11-29 - "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" opens at Beaumont Theater NYC for 40 perfs
1994-01-02 - "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" closes at Beaumont NYC after 40 perfs
1997-10-30 - Shirley Allen, 51, held Illinois police off for 39 days captured
2008-02-14 - Northern Illinois University shooting: a gunman opened fire in a lecture hall of the DeKalb County, Illinois university resulting in 24 casualties; 6 fatalities (including gunman) and 18 injured.
44th US President Barack Obama
2008-12-09 - The Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is arrested by federal officials for a number of alleged crimes including attempting to sell the United States Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama's election to the Presidency..
Famous Birthdays
Birthdays 1 - 67 of 67
1860-09-06 - Jane Addams, Cedarville, Illinois, pacifist/social worker/feminist (Nobel 1931), (d. 1935)
1876-02-28 - John Alden Carpenter, Chicago Illinois, composer (Sea Drift)
1890-09-06 - Clara Kimball Young, Illinois, actress (Return of Chandu)
1894-06-20 - Lloyd A Hall, Illinois, pioneer in food chemistry
1896-04-04 - Robert Sherwood, dramatist (Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Idiot's Delight)
1897-02-20 - Ivan Albright, Illinois, painter (Door, Window)
1898-10-07 - Alfred Wallenstein, Chicago Illinois, conductor (Chic Symph 1922-29)
1899-03-27 - Gloria Swanson, Chicago Illinois, American actress (Sunset Boulevard, Queen Kelly)
1899-07-21 - Ernest Hemingway, Oak Park Illinois, author ('for whom the bell tolled... ', Nobel 1954), (d. 1961
1902-10-05 - Ray Kroc, Oak Park, Illinois, fast food entrepreneur (MacDonalds), (d. 1984)
1903-06-13 - Harold "Red" Grange, "Galloping Ghost" of football (Illinois Bears)
MacDonalds Entreprenuer Ray Kroc (1902-10-05)
1911-12-26 - Steve Kordek, Chicago, Illinois, pinball machine designer, (d. 2012)
1913-01-02 - Gardner Read, Evanston, Illinois, composer
1914-09-14 - Clayton Moore, Chicago Illinois, American actor (d. 1999)
1914-12-14 - Rosalyn Tureck, Chicago Illinois, pianist (Bach & Rock)
1920-04-12 - Robert Fizdale, Chicago Illinois, pianist (Misia)
1920-04-20 - John Paul Stevens, Illinois, 103rd Supreme Court Justice (1975- )
1922-05-28 - Barney Rosset, Chicago, Illinois, publisher and free speech advocate (publisher of Tropic for Cancer), (d. 2012)
1922-06-04 - Irwin Bazelon, Evanston Illinois, composer (Duo for Viola)
1923-01-08 - Giorgio Tozzi, Chicago Illinois, basso
1926-05-26 - Miles Davis, Alton, Illinois, American jazz musician, trumpeter and composer (d. 1991)
1926-09-15 - Edward Derwinski, Chicago, Illinois, American congressman for Chicago 1959-83, first Secretary of Veteran Affairs 1989-1992
1928-11-15 - William Heirens, Evanston, Illinois, serial killer (Lipstick Killer), (d. 2012)
1930-12-18 - Bill Skowron [Moose], Chicago, Illinois, MLB First baseman (NY Yankees), (d. 2012)
1931-02-16 - George E Sangmeister, (Rep-D-Illinois)
1931-07-15 - Clive Cussler, Aurora Illinois, writer (Raise The Titantic, Sahara)
1931-09-24 - Cardiss Collins, (Rep-D-Illinois, 1973-97), (d. 2013)
1932-04-22 - Michael Colgrass, Chicago Illinois, composer (Best Wishes)
1934-02-22 - Thomas Paul, Chicago Illinois, bass (NYC Opera 1963-70)
1934-09-05 - Carol Lawrence, Illinois, dancer/actress (West Side Story)
1935-01-10 - Sherrill Milnes, Hinsdale Illinois, baritone
1935-09-19 - Thomas W Ewing, (Rep-R-Illinois)
1937-02-20 - David Ackles, Illinois, vocalist/songwriter (American Gothic)
1939-01-21 - Mary Ellen McAnally, Illinois, poet (Dance of the Zygotes)
1940-12-11 - Donna Mills, Chicago, Illinois, American actress (Knots Landing, Incident)
Comedian Tom Dreesen (1942-09-11)
1942-09-11 - Tom Dreesen, Harvey, Illinois, comedian (Tim Ried's partner)
1944-09-18 - Charles Lacy Veach, Chicago Illinois, astronaut (STS 39, STS 52)
1945-10-30 - Glenn Poshard, (Rep-D-Illinois)
1946-11-23 - Bobby L Rush, (Rep-D-Illinois)
1947-08-16 - Carol Moseley-Braun, (Sen-D Illinois)
1947-10-26 - Hillary Clinton (Rodham), Chicago, Illinois, First Lady (1993-2001), Senator (New York, 2001-2009), Secretary of State (f. 2009)
1949-09-25 - Jerry F Costello, (Rep-D-Illinois)
1950-04-15 - Amy Wright, Chicago Illinois, actress (Inside Moves, Accidental Tourist)
1950-09-21 - Bill Murray, Evanston Ill, Wilmette, Illinois, actor/comedian (Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters)
1951-10-05 - Karen Allen, Illinois, actress (Cruising, Starman, Wanderers)
1955-05-26 - Candace L Collins, Dupo Illinois, playmate (Dec, 1979)
1955-06-16 - Laurie Metcalf, Carbonville Illinois, actress (Jackie-Roseanne)
1958-09-20 - Marty Schiene, Chicago Ill, Canadian Tour golfer (1992 Illinois Open)
1960-12-03 - Daryl Hannah, Chicago, Illinois, American actress (Splash, Blade Runner)
1961-09-13 - Peter Roskam, Republican Congressman from Illinois
Actor/Comedian Bill Murray (1950-09-21)
1962-10-11 - Joan Cusack, Evanston Illinois, actress (SNL, Addams Family Values)
1965-05-24 - John C. Reilly, Chicago, Illinois, American actor (Chicago, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story)
1965-08-24 - Marlee Matlin, Morton Grove Illinois, deaf actress (Children of Lesser God-Acad Award)
1966-03-04 - Mike Small, Aurora Illinois, Canadian Tour golfer (1993 Emerald Coast)
1968-06-18 - John Lumkes, Chicago Illinois, 3k steeplechase runner
1969-01-08 - R Kelly [Robert Sylvester Kelly], Chicago, Illinois, American R&B singer (I Wish I Could Fly)
1969-04-19 - James Westphal, Oak Park Illinois, 10k runner
1971-11-29 - Bernadette Przybycien, Miss Illinois USA (1996)
1973-02-08 - Dave Dopek, Bolingbrook Illinois, 200m runner
1973-04-26 - Tracy Kathleen Hayes, Wheaton Ill, Miss America (Illinois-5th-1996)
1975-07-03 - Jennifer Salinas, Miss USA-Illinois (1997)
1977-06-29 - Tania Joy Gibson, Lake Barrington Ill, Miss America-Illinois (1997)
1978-07-01 - Eisa Istok, Miss Illinois Teen USA (1996)
1978-10-10 - Autumn Waterbury, Miss Illinois Teen USA (2nd-1997)
1979-12-17 - Jaimee Foxworth, Belleville, Illinois, American actress (Judy Winslow-Family Matters) and porn star
Actress and Singer Jennifer Hudson (1981-09-12)
1981-09-12 - Jennifer Hudson, Chicago, Illinois, American actress and singer (Dreamgirls, Jennifer Hudson)
1985-03-01 - Jeremy Jacob "J" Leman, Champaign Illinois, American Football Player
Famous Weddings
Weddings 1 - 5 of 5
1996-05-25 - Actress Kelley Menighan (29) weds actor-singer Jon Hensley (31) in Chicago, Illinois
2006-05-29 - "America's Next Top Model" first winner Adrianne Curry (23) weds "The Brady Bunch" actor Christopher Knight (48) in Joliet, Illinois
2008-12-31 - Former American Idol finalist Gina Glocksen (24) weds teacher Joe Ruzicka (32) at the Century Memorial Chapel at Naperville Settlement in Naperville, Illinois
2009-05-15 - Former Bachelorette star Jen Schefft (32) weds Chicago's public relations executive Joe Waterman (35) at the Private Dining Rooms of Spiaggia in Chicago, Illinois
2011-08-13 - "The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd (44) weds TV writer Lamar Sally at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, Illinois
Famous Deaths
Deaths 1 - 6 of 6
1881-09-22 - Solomon L. Spink, U.S. Congressman from Illinois (b. 1831)
1902-03-12 - John Peter Altgeld, German/US governor of Illinois, dies at 54
1955-11-14 - Robert E Sherwood, dramatist (Abe Lincoln in Illinois), dies at 59
1992-02-12 - Dorothy Tree, actress (Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Nazi Agent), dies
1994-05-10 - John Wayne Gacy, mass murderer, executed in Illinois at 52
2003-12-09 - Paul Simon, U.S. Senator from Illinois (b. 1928)
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