History of Illinois in Timeline

Illinois, a Midwestern state, is bordered by Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River, and the Wabash and Ohio rivers. It boasts the fifth-largest GDP and the sixth-largest population among U.S. states. Springfield serves as the capital, while Chicago is the state's largest city. Its diverse geography and economy make it a significant state in the U.S.

1900: Industrial growth and immigration

In 1900, industrial job growth in northern cities and coal mining in central and southern Illinois attracted immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe.

1908: Chicago Cubs Last World Series Win Until 2016

In 1908, the Chicago Cubs experienced their last World Series victory until 2016, marking the longest championship drought in major American sports.

1908: Illinois State Parks System Begins

In 1908, the Illinois state parks system was established with Fort Massac State Park, marking the beginning of a system that now includes over 60 parks.

1912: William Lorimer Expelled from U.S. Senate

In 1912, William Lorimer, the GOP boss of Chicago, was expelled from the U.S. Senate for bribery.

1916: Illinois Supports Loser in Presidential Election

In 1916, Illinois supported the loser in the presidential election, breaking its trend of supporting the winner every election in the 20th century.

1917: Chicago White Sox Last World Series Win Until 2005

In 1917, the Chicago White Sox experienced their last World Series victory until 2005.

1921: Len Small Found to Have Defrauded the State

In 1921, Illinois Governor Len Small was found to have defrauded the state of a million dollars.

1923: Official status to "the American language"

In 1923, state law gave official status to "the American language".

1925: Tri-State Tornado

The Tri-State Tornado of 1925, one of Tornado Alley's deadliest on record, killed 695 people across three states, with 613 fatalities occurring in Illinois.

1926: Chicago Blackhawks Founded

In 1926, the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL began playing.

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.

1942: First sustained nuclear chain reaction

In 1942, the University of Chicago conducted the first sustained nuclear chain reaction as part of the Manhattan Project.

1946: Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference Hosted

Since 1946, Illinois has hosted the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, marking its role as a leader in music education.

July 14, 1954: All-time high temperature recorded

On July 14, 1954, the all-time high temperature of 117 °F (47 °C) was recorded in Illinois at East St. Louis.

1957: 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.

1960: First privately financed nuclear plant

By 1960, the first privately financed nuclear plant in the United States, Dresden 1, was dedicated near Morris, Illinois.

1960: First McDonald's franchise

In 1960, Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines.

1961: Criminal code revision

In 1961, Illinois became the first state to adopt the American Law Institute's recommendation and pass a comprehensive criminal code revision, repealing the law against sodomy.

1962: O'Hare International Airport Becomes Busiest

From 1962 until 1998, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was the busiest airport in the world.

1967: Opening of Fermilab

In 1967, Fermilab, a national nuclear research facility near Batavia, opened a particle accelerator, which was the world's largest for over 40 years.

1969: End of official status to "the American language"

In 1969, state law ended official status to "the American language".

1970: Adoption of the state's fourth constitution

In 1970, Illinois adopted its fourth constitution, replacing the 1870 document.

1970: Decline in non-Hispanic white population

In 1970, the non-Hispanic white population of Illinois was 83.5%.

1971: John Deere Classic Established

Since 1971, the John Deere Classic, a regular PGA Tour event, has been played in the Quad Cities.

1973: Illinois Resource Equalizer Formula Adopted

In 1973, the Illinois Resource Equalizer Formula was adopted, aiming to collect and distribute funding to Illinois schools more equitably.

1976: LPGA State Farm Classic Established

From 1976 to 2011, the LPGA State Farm Classic was an LPGA Tour event.

1976: Illinois Supports Loser in Presidential Election

In 1976, Illinois supported the loser in the presidential election, breaking its trend of supporting the winner every election in the 20th century.

1984: Demolition of the first McDonald's franchise

The first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines was demolished in 1984.

1985: Replica of first McDonald's built

In 1985, a replica of the first McDonald's was built on the same site to recreate how the original one looked.

1985: First Farm Aid concert

In 1985, the first Farm Aid concert was held in Champaign to benefit American farmers.

January 26, 1986: Chicago Bears Win Super Bowl XX

On January 26, 1986, the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX, marking their last NFL Championship.

1990: Illinois Income Tax Rate

In 1990, Illinois's income tax rate was set at 3%.

1992: Illinois Trends Toward Democratic Party

Since the 1992 election, Illinois has trended more toward the Democratic Party.

1993: The Great Flood of 1993

The worst upper Mississippi River flood of the century, known as the Great Flood of 1993, inundated many towns and thousands of acres of farmland.

1997: Chicago Fire FC Founded

In 1997, Chicago Fire FC was founded and became a member of MLS.

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.

1998: O'Hare Surpassed by Atlanta's Hartsfield

In 1998, O'Hare International Airport was surpassed by Atlanta's Hartsfield as the busiest airport in the world.

January 5, 1999: Previous record low temperature

Prior to the 2019 record, a temperature of −36 °F (−38 °C) was recorded on January 5, 1999, near Congerville.

1999: Illinois Coal Production and Consumption

In 1999, Illinois produced 40.4 million tons of coal, but only 17 million tons (42%) of Illinois coal was consumed in Illinois.

2000: George W. Bush Wins Presidency Without Illinois

In 2000, George W. Bush became the first Republican to win the presidency without carrying Illinois.

2002: Election of Rod Blagojevich and Barack Obama

The 2002 election brought Democrat Rod Blagojevich to the governor's mansion and Barack Obama into a committee leadership position in the Illinois Senate.

January 2003: George Ryan commutes all death sentences

Near the end of his term in January 2003, Governor George Ryan commuted all death sentences in the state following a string of exonerations.

2003: U.S. Open at Olympia Fields

In 2003, Olympia Fields hosted the U.S. Open.

2004: Southern Illinois Music Festival Founded

In 2004, Southern Illinois University Carbondale began hosting the Southern Illinois Music Festival, which presents numerous performances throughout the region each summer.

2005: Illinois Oil Production

In 2005, Illinois was ranked 14th in oil production among states, with a daily output of approximately 28,000 bbl.

2005: Chicago White Sox Win World Series

In 2005, the Chicago White Sox won the World Series, their first since 1917.

2006: Chicago Fire FC Play in Bridgeview

From 2006 to 2019, the Chicago Fire FC played in Bridgeview.

2006: Illinois Manufacturing Productivity

In 2006, Illinois boasted annual value added productivity by manufacturing of over $107 billion. The leading manufacturing industries in Illinois, based upon value-added, were chemical manufacturing ($18.3 billion), machinery manufacturing ($13.4 billion), food manufacturing ($12.9 billion), fabricated metal products ($11.5 billion), transportation equipment ($7.4 billion), plastics and rubber products ($7.0 billion), and computer and electronic products ($6.1 billion).

2006: PGA Championship at Medinah

In 2006, Medinah hosted the PGA Championship.

2006: George Ryan Convicted of Racketeering and Bribery

In 2006, former Illinois governor George Ryan was convicted of racketeering and bribery, leading to a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

2006: Chicago Sky Established

In 2006, the Chicago Sky was established and has played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) since.

2007: Wind Energy in Illinois

As of 2007, wind energy represented only 1.7% of Illinois's energy production. Also, the Illinois General Assembly mandated in 2007 that by 2025, 25% of all electricity generated in Illinois is to come from renewable resources.

2007: Illinois Electricity Generation from Nuclear Power

In 2007, 48% of Illinois's electricity was generated using nuclear power.

2008: Barack Obama Elected President

In 2008, Barack Obama, with Illinois as his political base, was elected President of the United States.

2008: Illinois Coal Exports

In 2008, Illinois exported three million tons of coal and was projected to export nine million in 2011, as demand for energy grows in places such as China, India, and elsewhere in Asia and Europe.

2008: O'Hare Remains Busiest Airports Globally

In 2008, O'Hare consistently remains one of the two or three busiest airports globally, with 59.3 million domestic passengers and 11.4 million international passengers.

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.

2009: Chicago Red Stars Formation

In 2009, the Chicago Red Stars were formed and have played at the top level of U.S. women's soccer, except for the 2011 season.

2009: Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms

In 2009, the Solheim Cup was held at Rich Harvest Farms.

August 2010: Illinois Universities Ranked Among Nation's Best

As of August 2010, six Illinois universities ranked in the "first tier" among the top 500 National Universities in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

2010: Illinois Coal Reserves Ranking

As of 2010, Illinois was ranked third in recoverable coal reserves at producing mines in the nation.

2010: Population change since 2010

Illinois' population slightly declined in 2020 from the 2010 United States census by just over 18,000 residents.

2010: Mark Kirk Wins Senate Seat

In 2010, Mark Kirk became the last Republican to be elected to the Senate from Illinois.

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.

2010: Catholic Population in Illinois

In 2010, the Catholic population in Illinois numbered 3,648,907.

2010: Illinois Income Tax Increase

In 2010, the General Assembly voted for a temporary increase in the Illinois income tax rate to 5%.

January 1, 2011: Illinois Income Tax Rate Increase

On January 1, 2011, the new Illinois income tax rate of 5% went into effect.

December 7, 2011: Rod Blagojevich Sentenced to Prison

On December 7, 2011, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison for conspiring to sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat.

2011: Illinois Manufacturing Ranking

As of 2011, Illinois was ranked as the 4th-most productive manufacturing state in the country, behind California, Texas, and Ohio.

2011: Projected Illinois Coal Exports

In 2011, Illinois was projected to export nine million tons of coal, as demand for energy grows in places such as China, India, and elsewhere in Asia and Europe.

2011: Illinois Ethanol Production

In 2011, Illinois was ranked third in the United States in ethanol production, with a production capacity of 1.5 billion gallons per year.

2011: LPGA State Farm Classic Concludes

In 2011, the LPGA State Farm Classic, an LPGA Tour event since 1976, was held for the last time.

2011: Quad Cities population

In 2011, the Quad Cities region in northern Illinois had a population of 381,342.

2011: Chicago Red Stars Inactive Season

In the 2011 season, the Chicago Red Stars did not play at the top level of U.S. women's soccer.

2012: Ryder Cup at Medinah

In 2012, the Ryder Cup was held at Medinah.

2013: Encompass Championship Established

Since 2013, the Encompass Championship has been a Champions Tour event.

2014: Election of Bruce Rauner

In the 2014 election, Republican Bruce Rauner defeated Pat Quinn to become governor.

January 1, 2015: Illinois Income Tax Sunset

On January 1, 2015, the personal income rate in Illinois partially sunset to 3.75%, while the corporate income tax fell to 5.25%.

2015: Start of the Illinois Budget Impasse

Disagreements between the governor and legislature over budgetary policy led to the Illinois Budget Impasse starting in 2015, a 793-day period with no state budget.

2015: Chicago Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup

In 2015, the Chicago Blackhawks won their sixth Stanley Cup.

2016: Donald Trump Wins Presidency Without Illinois

In 2016, Donald Trump won the presidency without carrying Illinois.

2016: Venture Capital Funding in Illinois

In 2016, Illinois-based companies received approximately $1.1 billion of the total $62 billion in venture capital funding in the U.S. Also, Illinois-based companies received approximately $8.7 billion in federal government contracts.

2016: Chicago Bandits Win League Title

In 2016, the Chicago Bandits of the NPF won their most recent league title.

2016: Chicago Cubs Win World Series

In 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, ending their long championship drought since 1908.

August 28, 2017: Bill signed to limit immigration arrests

On August 28, 2017, Governor Rauner signed a bill into law that prohibited state and local police from arresting individuals solely based on immigration status or federal detainers.

2017: Chicago Sales Tax Rate

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%.

2017: Illinois Budget Passage and Income Tax Increase

In 2017, after a 736-day budget impasse, a budget was passed in Illinois that 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.

2018: Top countries of origin for immigrants in Illinois

In 2018, the top countries of origin for immigrants residing in Illinois were Mexico, India, Poland, the Philippines, and China.

2018: Election of J. B. Pritzker

In the 2018 election, J. B. Pritzker replaced Bruce Rauner as governor, returning the state government to a Democratic trifecta.

2018: End of the Illinois Budget Impasse

The Illinois Budget Impasse, which began in 2015, ended in 2018 after lasting for 793 days.

January 2019: North American cold wave

In January 2019, Illinois experienced the North American cold wave during which a record low temperature was measured.

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 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 Vote on 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 allowing for a graduated income tax to be on the 2020 general election ballot.

2019: LGBTQ Identification in Illinois

According to a Gallup survey from 2019, 4.3% of adults in Illinois identified as LGBTQ.

2019: Rauner and Sanguinetti Leave Office

In 2019, Governor Bruce Rauner and Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, the last Republicans to hold statewide office, left office.

2019: Chicago Fire FC Move to Soldier Field

In 2019, the Chicago Fire FC moved to Soldier Field in Chicago.

January 2020: Legalization of marijuana

In January 2020, Illinois legalized marijuana.

March 9, 2020: Disaster Proclamation due to COVID-19

On March 9, 2020, Governor Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Chicago population

As of 2020, 21.4% of Illinois' population lived in the city of Chicago itself.

2020: Native American population

In 2020, 96,498 people in Illinois identified as being Native American alone, while 184,487 did so in combination with one or more other races.

2020: Illinois Amendment Vote

In 2020, the Illinois constitutional amendment to allow a graduated income tax was not approved by Illinoisans.

2020: Illinois Ranked 4th Easiest State to Vote In

In a 2020 study, Illinois was ranked as the 4th easiest state for citizens to vote in.

2020: Illinois population in the 2020 census

In the 2020 United States census, the population of Illinois was 12,812,508, making it the sixth-largest state.

2021: Illinois Human Development Index

In 2021, Illinois scored 0.929 on the UN's Human Development Index, placing it in the category of "very high" Human Development.

2021: Chicago Sky Win WNBA Championship

In 2021, the Chicago Sky won their first WNBA Championship.

2022: Ancestry estimates

According to 2022 estimates from the American Community Survey, 16% of the population had German ancestry, 14% had Mexican ancestry, 10.4% had Irish ancestry, 7.1% had English ancestry, 6.2% had Polish ancestry, 5.2% had Italian ancestry, 3.4% listed themselves as American, 2.3% had Indian ancestry, 1.7% had Puerto Rican ancestry, 1.7% had Swedish ancestry, 1.4% had Filipino ancestry, 1.4% had French ancestry, and 1.2% had Chinese ancestry in Illinois.

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: Minority population of young children

As of 2022, 50% of Illinois's population younger than age 4 were minorities.

2022: Gross State Product of Illinois

As of 2022, the gross state product for Illinois reached US$1.0 trillion.

2022: Per-capita and median household income in Illinois

As of 2022, the per-capita income in Illinois was $43,317, and the median household income was $76,708. 11.9% of the population lived below the poverty line.

2022: Non-Hispanic white population in 2022

By 2022, the non-Hispanic white population in Illinois had declined to 58.5%.

2022: Illinois Population Demographics

In 2022, 11.2% of Illinois's population was under 9 years old. The median age in Illinois was 39.1 years old. An estimated 0.44% of adults in Illinois identified as transgender.

2022: Foreign-born inhabitants in Illinois

In 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that there were 1,810,100 foreign-born inhabitants in Illinois, representing 14.4% of the state's population. The majority of these inhabitants were from Mexico or Central America (37.8%), Asia (31%), and Europe (20.2%).

May 2023: End of COVID-19 state of emergency

In May 2023, Governor Pritzker ended the state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2023: Population estimates

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.