The state of Illinois Seal as door handles to the North entrance of the Illinois State Capitol Building in Springfield, Illinois, USA
An important date for one of the best states in the country is here -- and you might not even know about it.
National Illinois Day, on Dec. 7, commemorates the history, art and culture owed to the iconic Midwest state. Here's some information – both vital to know and amusing to share – about the state so you can think about what Illinois means to you.
Here are some facts about Illinois history and iconic culture:
- In 1818, Illinois was admitted as the 21st state in the Union.
- An 1874 state law forbade segregation and the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 1885 banned discrimination in public areas.
- Four former-U.S. presidents have roots in Illinois: Ronald Reagan was born in Illinois; Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant both moved to Illinois; and Barack Obama lived in Chicago for most of his life and served as an Illinois senator.
- The origin of the term of Chicago as the “Windy City” is disputed by scholars, but it has been used to describe bloviating politicians, in addition to the weather. Interestingly, Chicago does not even rank in the top 10 of The Weather Station Experts’ list of the windiest U.S. cities – Amarillo, Texas, comes in first.
- The Illinois state flower is a violet. The state bird is the cardinal. You probably didn’t know that the Illinois state snack is popcorn, and that the state pet is shelter dogs and shelter cats.
- O’Hare International Airport consistently ranks in the top five, if not first, in lists of the busiest airports in the world.
Native American history
Hunter-gatherers from various nations first came to Illinois around 12,000 years ago, according to History.com. Illinois is named after the French settlers’ pronunciation of the Illiniwek Nation which was initially comprised of 12 smaller nations including the Cahokia, Peoria and Kaskaskia Nations.
The state of Illinois rests on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Peankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations. When Illinois became the 21st state in December of 1818, Native nations still legally owned a large portion of the state’s territory, according to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Local
A long history of land cessions and treaties posed by the U.S. government and criticized for their deception, inequity and violence against Native Nations has reshaped the landscape of territorial ownership into what Illinois is today, according to UIUC.
Illinois rankings
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
On many fronts, places in Illinois take the cake for having some of the best things to offer in the U.S. Here’s a few rankings where we top the charts:
- Chicago ranked as the eight most fun city in America, according to a WalletHub ranking.
- Illinois has four of the best Christmas tree farms across the country, according to a Yelp ranking.
- Chicago has the second-best Thanksgiving parade in the U.S., according to a ranking by Time Out, just behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade by Macy's in New York City.
- Pere Marquette State Park in west central Illinois is the eighth best place in the U.S. to see crispy, warmed-toned leaves throughout the fall season, according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
- Illinois has some of the best colleges in the country. Northwestern University in Evanston came in at No. 14 on a 2023 list by Niche, and University of Chicago earned the No. 16. spot. Later on the list is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at No. 59.
