Brave. Courageous. Bold. All words used to describe legendary Western lawman Wyatt Earp. But novels, films and TV shows often overlook his reckless youth in Illinois, where he earned a reputation as a thief, swindler and pimp.
A popular Chicago Mayor and champion to the city's overlooked immigrant communities is struck down by an assassin’s bullet, a bullet that was meant for someone else.
Carl Sandburg, author, journalist, folk singer, and poet of the people, appointed Poet Laureate of Illinois.
No longer considered a planet, but always number nine in our hearts. This week in Illinois history, we celebrate the discovery of Pluto by Streator native Clyde Tombaugh.
Illinois was barely two months old when it experienced its first duel, an intoxicated altercation over a horse that destroyed the lives of two families.
When flooding and ice jams threatened these northern Illinois communities, the people fought back, with Dynamite.
The 1985 Bears lineup is one of the greatest in NFL history. This cast of colorful characters dominated the league before shuffling right over the New England Patriots at Super Bowl XX.
The late, great actress Betty White might have ended up hot in Cleveland, but she was born right here in Illinois. Learn about Oak Park's very own Golden Girl on This Week in Illinois History.
Thirsty for some fudge? This week, we revisit the story of Canfield’s Diet Chocolate Fudge Soda, the Chicago-based beverage that created a fad and a fizzle in the 1980s.
The DeKalb winged ear logo is recognized around the world. Its origin traces back to one of the nation’s first organized farm associations.
Cleaning up after your holiday parties? Pause to thank Illinoisan Josephine Cochrane for making your life a lot easier.
No other character personifies early 20th-century, pop-culture Americana better than Raggedy Ann, the creation of Arcola, Illinois, native Johnny Gruelle.
After a great flood nearly destroys one of Illinois’ oldest towns, the state takes a huge step. It moves the whole town to higher ground.
Chester, Illinois native E. C. Segar spent years working as a struggling cartoonist until he created one of the world's most iconic characters: Popeye the Sailor.
At the height of World War II, scientists in the U. S. raced to build a nuclear weapon before Germany. One of the first stages of this race, the harnessing of nuclear energy, took place beneath the grandstand of a football field in Chicago.
Barbed wire may seem like a simple invention, but when it was invented in the 1870s, it changed the world, made millions for its creators and put DeKalb, Illinois on the map.
Bessie Coleman had to travel to Paris, France to fulfill her dream of becoming a pilot. Though her life came to a tragic end, she inspired generations of Black women.
In early November 1838, the first railroad in Illinois went into operation. The train went on a symbolic, eight-mile run, introducing the state to the transportation that would dominate the next century.
In late 1872 a horse epidemic brought the nation to a standstill. Never before had the country’s ability to conduct business been so paralyzed.
The term “March Madness,” used in connection with basketball, originated in Illinois. This is the story of H. V. Porter, who popularized “March Madness” and created many of basketball’s rules still in use today.
He is remembered as one of the nation’s most notorious gangsters, but Al Capone’s career as head of Chicago organized crime came to a sudden and ignominious end after only six years.
What's the connection between Red Stripe Beer from Jamaica and Red Stripe Beer from Galena, Illinois? It's an Illinois history mystery.
In the 1930s, Wheaton, Illinois, native Pearl Kendrick created a vaccine that has saved millions of lives and is still standard for American children today.
How do you convince fast-moving Americans that driving slow will conserve rubber and help the war effort? You call the new speed limit “Victory Speed."
During World War II, the United States Army built sprawling hospital complexes across the country to treat wounded soldiers. One of the largest was built in Galesburg, Illinois.
When a deadly polio outbreak hit Chicago in 1937, the city shuttered its schools. But kids didn’t get a free pass. They took part in a remote learning experiment with the best technology available: the radio.
In 1846, an Illinois militia laid siege to Nauvoo, one of the state’s largest cities. Their goal? Drive out the last members of the Mormon Church.
Illinois has a state fossil, the Tully Monster, a strange sea creature that swam over Illinois 300 million years ago.
In the early 1900s, the city of West Chicago celebrated its history as the site of a historic Lincoln-Douglas debate. The only problem? The debate never happened.
