History of Illinois in Timeline
Illinois is a Midwestern U.S. state bordering Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River, and the Wabash and Ohio rivers. It boasts the fifth-largest GDP and sixth-largest population among the fifty states. Springfield serves as the capital city, while Chicago is the largest city, located in the northeastern part of the state.
1900: Growth of industrial jobs and coal mining
By 1900, the growth of industrial jobs in the northern cities and coal mining in the central and southern areas attracted immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe to Illinois.
1908: Chicago Cubs Longest Championship Drought Begins
In 1908, the Chicago Cubs began the longest championship drought in major American sport.
1908: Illinois State Parks System Begins
In 1908, the Illinois state parks system began with Fort Massac State Park, becoming the first park in the system.
1909: Cherry Mine Disaster
In 1909, the Cherry Mine disaster occurred, resulting in an underground fire that killed 259 miners. This was the third-worst disaster in the history of American coal mining.
1912: William Lorimer Expelled
In 1912, William Lorimer, the GOP boss of Chicago, was expelled from the U.S. Senate for bribery.
1916: Presidential Election exception
Illinois supported the winner in every election in the 20th century, except for 1916 and 1976.
1917: Chicago White Sox Last World Series
In 1917, was the year the Chicago White Sox last won the world series prior to 2005.
1921: Len Small Defrauded
In 1921, Governor Len Small was found to have defrauded the state of a million dollars.
1923: Official Status of "the American language"
In 1923, state law in Illinois gave official status to "the American language".
1925: The Tri-State Tornado
The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 killed 695 people in three states; 613 of the victims died in Illinois.
1926: Chicago Blackhawks Founded
In 1926, the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL began playing.
1928: Election of Oscar De Priest
In 1928, Illinois became the first state to elect a Black person, Oscar De Priest, to the U.S. House of Representatives in the post-reconstruction era.
1933: Century of Progress World's Fair
In 1933, the Century of Progress World's Fair was held in Chicago.
1937: Oil Boom
In 1937, oil strikes in Marion County and Crawford County led to a boom in Illinois.
1939: Illinois oil production
By 1939, Illinois ranked fourth in U.S. oil production.
1940: Decline in coal mining
After 1940, there was a slow decline in coal mining in Illinois.
1942: Chicago Pile-1
In 1942, the world's first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction occurred in Illinois with the Chicago Pile-1, the world's first nuclear reactor, built on the University of Chicago campus.
1946: Midwest Clinic Conference
Since 1946, Illinois has hosted the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference.
July 14, 1954: All-time high temperature recorded
On July 14, 1954, the all-time high temperature of 117 °F (47 °C) was recorded at East St. Louis, Illinois.
1957: Activation of the first experimental nuclear power generating system
In 1957, Argonne National Laboratory, near Chicago, activated the first experimental nuclear power generating system in the United States.
1959: Opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
In 1959, Chicago became an ocean port with the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, connecting it to both the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean.
1960: Dedication of Dresden 1
By 1960, the first privately financed nuclear plant in the United States, Dresden 1, was dedicated near Morris, Illinois.
1960: First McDonald's franchise opens
In 1960, Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois.
1961: Criminal code revision
In 1961, Illinois became the first state in the nation to adopt the recommendation of the American Law Institute and pass a comprehensive criminal code revision that repealed the law against sodomy.
1962: O'Hare Becomes Busiest Airport
In 1962, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport became the busiest airport in the world, measured by total flights and passengers.
1967: Opening of Fermilab
In 1967, Fermilab, a national nuclear research facility near Batavia, Illinois, opened a particle accelerator, which was the world's largest for over 40 years.
1969: End of official Status of "the American language"
In 1969, state law in Illinois ended the official status of "the American language".
1970: Non-Hispanic White Population in Illinois
In 1970, the non-Hispanic white population in Illinois was 83.5%.
1970: Adoption of the state's fourth constitution
In 1970, the state's fourth constitution was adopted, replacing the 1870 document.
1971: John Deere Classic Begins
Since 1971, the John Deere Classic has been a regular PGA Tour event played in the Quad Cities.
1973: Illinois Resource Equalizer Formula Adopted
In 1973, the Illinois Resource Equalizer Formula was adopted with the hope of distributing funds more equitably to Illinois schools.
1976: LPGA State Farm Classic Begins
From 1976 to 2011, the LPGA State Farm Classic was an LPGA Tour event.
1976: Presidential Election exception
Illinois supported the winner in every election in the 20th century, except for 1916 and 1976.
1984: Demolition of the first McDonald's franchise
The first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, which opened in 1960, was demolished in 1984.
1985: Replica of McDonald's franchise built
In 1985 a replica of the first McDonald's franchise was built on the same site to recreate how the original one looked.
1985: First Farm Aid concert
The first Farm Aid concert was held in Champaign, Illinois, in 1985 to benefit American farmers.
January 26, 1986: Chicago Bears Win Super Bowl XX
On January 26, 1986, the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX.
1990: Percentage of Asian-Americans in Illinois
In 1990, Asian-Americans only made up 2.5% of the total population of Illinois.
1990: Illinois State Income Tax Rate
In 1990, the Illinois state income tax rate was set at 3%.
1992: Election of Carol Mosley Brown
In 1992, Illinois became the first state to elect a Black woman, Carol Mosley Brown, to the US Senate.
1992: Illinois Trends Democratic
Since the 1992 election, Illinois has trended more toward the Democratic Party.
1993: Great Flood of 1993
The worst upper Mississippi River flood of the century, the Great Flood of 1993, inundated many towns and thousands of acres of farmland in Illinois.
1998: Illinois coal consumption
In 1998, 21 million tons of coal burned for power in Illinois was mined in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming.
January 5, 1999: Previous all-time low temperature
Prior to 2019, the previous record low temperature of −36 °F (−38 °C) was recorded on January 5, 1999, near Congerville, Illinois.
1999: Coal production in Illinois
In 1999, Illinois produced 40.4 million tons of coal, but only 17 million tons (42%) of Illinois coal was consumed in Illinois.
2000: Minorities under 18 in Illinois
In 2000, 41% of children in Illinois were minorities.
2000: George W. Bush election
In 2000, George W. Bush became the first Republican to win the presidency without carrying either Illinois or Vermont.
2002: Election of Rod Blagojevich and Barack Obama
The 2002 election brought Democrat Rod Blagojevich to the governor's mansion. It also brought future president Barack Obama into a committee leadership position in the Illinois Senate, where he drafted the Health Care Justice Act.
January 2003: Commutation of death sentences
Near the end of his term in January 2003, following a string of high-profile exonerations, Governor George Ryan commuted all death sentences in the state of Illinois.
2003: U.S. Open at Olympia Fields
In 2003, Olympia Fields hosted the U.S. Open.
2004: Southern Illinois Music Festival
Each summer since 2004, Southern Illinois University Carbondale has played host to the Southern Illinois Music Festival.
2005: Illinois Oil Production
In 2005, Illinois was ranked 14th in oil production among states, with a daily output of approximately 28,000 barrels.
2005: Chicago White Sox Win World Series
In 2005, the Chicago White Sox won the World Series, their first since 1917.
2006: Manufacturing Productivity in Illinois
In 2006, Illinois boasted annual value-added productivity by manufacturing of over $107 billion.
2006: PGA Championship at Medinah
In 2006, Medinah hosted the PGA Championship.
2006: George Ryan Convicted
In 2006, former governor George Ryan was convicted of racketeering and bribery.
2006: Chicago Sky Formed
In 2006, the Chicago Sky began playing in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
2007: Wind energy percentage
As of 2007, wind energy represented only 1.7% of Illinois's energy production.
2007: Illinois Electricity Generation
In 2007, 48% of Illinois's electricity was generated using nuclear power.
2008: Election of Barack Obama
Following his victory in the 2008 presidential election, Illinois senator Barack Obama became the first Black president of the United States.
2008: Barack Obama elected president
In 2008, Barack Obama, who had made Illinois his political base, was elected president.
2008: O'Hare and Midway Passengers Statistics
In 2008, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport served 59.3 million domestic and 11.4 million international passengers, while Midway Airport served 17.3 million domestic and international passengers.
2008: Soybean Harvest in Illinois
In 2008, Illinois' soybean harvest was 427.7 million bushels.
January 15, 2009: Temperature recorded at Rochelle
Prior to the Mount Carroll record, a temperature of −37 °F (−38 °C) was recorded on January 15, 2009, at Rochelle, but at a weather station not subjected to the same quality control as official records.
September 2009: Illinois Wind Power Capacity
As of September 2009, Illinois had 1116.06 MW of installed wind power nameplate capacity with another 741.9 MW under construction, ranking ninth among U.S. states in installed wind power capacity.
2009: Chicago Red Stars Formation
In 2009, the Chicago Red Stars were formed and began playing at the top level of U.S. women's soccer.
2009: Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms
In 2009, the Solheim Cup was held at Rich Harvest Farms in Illinois.
August 2010: Top Illinois Universities Ranked
As of August 2010, six Illinois universities ranked in the "first tier" among the top 500 National Universities, according to the U.S. News & World Report rankings. These included the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, among others.
2010: Illinois coal reserves
As of 2010, Illinois was ranked third in recoverable coal reserves at producing mines in the nation.
2010: Population Decline
Illinois' population slightly declined in 2020 from the 2010 United States census by just over 18,000 residents.
2010: Minorities under 18 in Illinois
In 2010, 47% of children in Illinois were minorities.
2010: Number of Catholics in Illinois
In 2010, Catholics in Illinois numbered 3,648,907.
2010: Mark Kirk elected
In 2010, Mark Kirk became the last Republican elected to the Senate.
2010: Mattoon Backs out of FutureGen Project
In 2010, after a number of setbacks, the city of Mattoon backed out of the Department of Energy's FutureGen project, a 275-megawatt experimental zero emission coal-burning power plant.
2010: Illinois General Assembly Tax Increase
In 2010, the Illinois General Assembly voted for a temporary increase in the state income tax rate to 5%.
2010: Hispanic population in Illinois
The Hispanic population in Illinois grew by 15% between 2010 and 2020, while the overall population of the state declined.
January 1, 2011: Income tax increase
On January 1, 2011, the new income tax rate of 5% went into effect in Illinois.
December 7, 2011: Rod Blagojevich Sentenced
On December 7, 2011, former governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison for allegations that he conspired to sell the vacated Senate seat left by President Barack Obama.
2011: Manufacturing Ranking in Illinois
As of 2011, Illinois is ranked as the 4th-most productive manufacturing state in the country.
2011: LPGA State Farm Classic Ends
From 1976 to 2011, the LPGA State Farm Classic was an LPGA Tour event.
2011: Ethanol Production in Illinois
In 2011, Illinois was the third largest producer of ethanol in the United States, with a production capacity of 1.5 billion gallons per year.
2011: Quad Cities population
In 2011, the Quad Cities region, located along the Mississippi River in northern Illinois, had a population of 381,342.
2011: Chicago Red Stars Season
The Chicago Red Stars did not play in the 2011 season.
2013: Encompass Championship Begins
Since 2013, the Encompass Championship has been a Champions Tour event.
2014: Election of Bruce Rauner
Blagojevich's replacement Pat Quinn was defeated by Republican Bruce Rauner in the 2014 election.
2014: Decline in Prison Incarceration Rate
Illinois' prison incarceration rate has declined by almost 50% since 2014.
January 1, 2015: Personal income rate partial sunset
The personal income rate partially sunset on January 1, 2015, to 3.75%, while the corporate income tax fell to 5.25% in Illinois.
2015: Illinois Budget Impasse
In 2015, disagreements between the governor and legislature over budgetary policy led to the Illinois Budget Impasse, a period in which the state had no budget and struggled to pay its bills.
2015: Chicago Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup
In 2015, the Chicago Blackhawks won their sixth Stanley Cup.
2016: Donald Trump wins Presidency
In 2016, Donald Trump became president without carrying Illinois or Vermont.
2016: Chicago Bandits Win League Title
In 2016, the Chicago Bandits of the NPF, a women's softball league, won their fourth league title.
2016: Chicago Cubs Win World Series
In 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.
2016: Venture Capital Funding and Federal Government Contracts
In 2016, venture capitalists invested approximately $62 billion in the U.S. economy, with Illinois-based companies receiving about $1.1 billion. Additionally, in FY 2016, the federal government spent $461 billion on contracts in the U.S., with Illinois-based companies receiving approximately $8.7 billion.
August 28, 2017: Bill Prohibiting Arrests Based on Immigration Status
On August 28, 2017, Governor Rauner signed a bill into law in Illinois that prohibited state and local police from arresting anyone solely due to their immigration status or due to federal detainers.
2017: Chicago Sales Tax and Illinois Real Estate Tax
As of 2017, Chicago had the highest state and local sales tax rate for a U.S. city with a population above 200,000, at 10.250%. Also in 2017, the state of Illinois had the second highest rate of real estate tax: 2.31%.
2017: Illinois budget passed
In 2017, after a 736-day budget impasse, a budget was passed in Illinois after lawmakers overturned Governor Bruce Rauner's veto; this budget raised the personal income rate to 4.95% and the corporate rate to 7%.
2017: Demolition of McDonald's replica
In 2017, the replica of the first McDonald's franchise was demolished due to repeated flooding of the building.
2018: Election of J.B. Pritzker
In the 2018 election, Bruce Rauner was replaced by J. B. Pritzker, returning the state government to a Democratic trifecta.
2018: End of Illinois Budget Impasse
The Illinois Budget Impasse, a 793-day period stretching from 2015, came to an end in 2018.
January 2019: North American cold wave
The all-time low temperature of −38 °F (−39 °C) was recorded on January 31, 2019, near Mount Carroll, Illinois, during the January 2019 North American cold wave.
January 31, 2019: All-time low temperature recorded
On January 31, 2019, the all-time low temperature of −38 °F (−39 °C) was recorded near Mount Carroll, Illinois, during the January 2019 North American cold wave.
February 2019: Unemployment Rate in Illinois
As of February 2019, the unemployment rate in Illinois reached 4.2%.
March 5, 2019: Confirmation of all-time low temperature
On March 5, 2019, the all-time low temperature recorded on January 31, 2019, was confirmed.
May 1, 2019: Illinois Senate Approves Constitutional Amendment
On May 1, 2019, the Illinois Senate voted to approve a constitutional amendment that would have stricken language from the Illinois Constitution requiring a flat state income tax.
May 27, 2019: Governor Approves Graduated Income Tax Bill
On May 27, 2019, Governor J. B. Pritzker approved the bill regarding the constitutional amendment to allow a graduated income tax.
2019: LGBTQ Adults in Illinois
According to a Gallup survey from 2019, 4.3% of adults in Illinois identify as LGBTQ.
2019: Rauner and Sanguinetti Left office
In 2019, Bruce Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti, the last republicans to hold statewide office left office.
January 2020: Legalization of Marijuana
In January 2020, the state of Illinois legalized marijuana.
March 9, 2020: Disaster Proclamation Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 9, 2020, Governor Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois.
2020: Chicago Metropolitan Area Population
As of 2020, 21.4% of Illinois' population was living in the city of Chicago itself.
2020: Decline in Catholic Population
By 2020, the number of Catholics in Illinois had declined to 3,099,544.
2020: Amendment not approved by Illinoisans
In 2020, the amendment was not approved by Illinoisans, with 55.1% of voters voting "No" on approval and 44.9% voting "Yes".
2020: Largest Protestant Denominations in Illinois
In 2020, the largest Protestant denominations in Illinois were the United Methodist Church with 235,045 members and the Southern Baptist Convention with 222,589 members.
2020: Chicago population
In 2020, the population of Chicago was 2,746,388.
2020: Illinois Voting Accessibility Ranking
In a 2020 study, Illinois was ranked as the 4th easiest state for citizens to vote in.
2020: Illinois Population in 2020
In the 2020 United States census, the population of Illinois was found to be 12,812,508.
2020: Hispanic population growth in Illinois
The Hispanic population in Illinois grew by 15% between 2010 and 2020, while the overall population of the state declined.
2021: Hispanic Origin and European Ancestry
2021 estimates show that almost 10% of the state's Hispanic population also reported a non-Spanish European ancestry, with this group making up 1.7% of the state's total population.
2021: Chicago Sky Win WNBA Championship
In 2021, the Chicago Sky won their first WNBA Championship.
2022: Incarceration Rate in Illinois
According to 2022 data from the Prison Policy Initiative, an estimated 53,000 people were imprisoned in local jails, state prisons, federal prisons, or detention centers in Illinois.
2022: Ancestry Estimates in Illinois
According to 2022 estimates from the American Community Survey, 16% of the population in Illinois had German ancestry, 14% had Mexican ancestry, 10.4% had Irish ancestry, 7.1% had English ancestry, and 6.2% had Polish ancestry.
2022: Homeless Population in Illinois
According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 9,212 homeless people in Illinois.
2022: Transgender Adults in Illinois
According to a 2022 study from the Williams Institute, an estimated 0.44% of adults in Illinois identify as transgender.
2022: Gross State Product for Illinois
As of 2022, the gross state product for Illinois reached US$1.0 trillion.
2022: Foreign-born Inhabitants of Illinois
At the 2022 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 1,810,100 foreign-born inhabitants of Illinois, making up 14.4% of the population.
2022: Human Development Index in Illinois
In 2022, Illinois scored 0.932 on the UN's Human Development Index, placing it in the category of "very high" Human Development.
2022: Non-Hispanic White Population in Illinois
In 2022, the non-Hispanic white population in Illinois had declined to 58.5%.
May 2023: End of COVID-19 State of Emergency
Governor Pritzker ended the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois in May 2023.
2023: Racial demographics of Illinois
According to 2023 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Illinois' population was 60.7% White, 13.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American or Alaskan Native, 6.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.1% Some Other Race, and 11.8% from two or more races.
2023: Population Under 18 in Illinois
As of 2023, 21.5% of the population of Illinois is under the age of 18.
2023: Catholics in Illinois
As of 2023, Catholics account for nearly 25% of the state's population of Illinois.
2023: Income and Poverty in Illinois
As of 2023, the per-capita income in Illinois is $45,043, and the median income for a household in the state is $80,306. 11.6% of the population lives below the poverty line.
2023: People Imprisoned in Illinois
Census data from 2023 reports an estimated 59,254 people (0.47%) imprisoned in adult correctional facilities in Illinois.
2023: Non-Hispanic Whites in Illinois
In 2023, 7,260,529 Illinoisans identified as non-Hispanic white alone, making up 57.9% of the population.
2023: Pacific Islanders in Illinois
In 2023, Pacific Islanders numbered 17,982 in Illinois, making up only 0.1% of the population.
2024: Most Populous Counties
As of 2024, the five most populous counties in Illinois are Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, and Kane, all located in the Chicago metropolitan area.
2025: Minimum Wage Increase in Illinois
Illinois's minimum wage will rise to $15 per hour by 2025, making it one of the highest in the nation.
2025: Renewable energy mandate
In 2007, the Illinois General Assembly mandated that by 2025, 25% of all electricity generated in Illinois is to come from renewable resources.
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