Illinois Bicentennial

William Jennings Bryan was an American orator, politician and served in the United States House of Representatives and as the United States Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson.

The Tri-State Tornado of Wednesday, March 18, 1925, was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history and inflicted 695 fatalities and caused over $2.13 billion in damages (in 2018 numbers).

Ninian Edwards served as the only governor of the Illinois Territory from 1809 to 1818, as one of the first two United States Senators from Illinois from 1818 to 1824, and as the third Governor of Illinois from 1826 to 1830. He was born on March 17, 1775.

Joseph Medill was co-owner and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune and was Mayor of Chicago after the great fire of 1871. He passed away on March 16, 1899.

Bernard Fantus, director of therapeutics at the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, established the first hospital blood bank in the United States on March 15, 1937.

Lewis Fablinger wasn't able to enlist in the Civil War at the age of 14 in 1860, however was able to at the age of 17 and on March 14, 1950, he was the final Illinois soldier of the Civil War to pass away, at the age of 103.

Clarence Darrow was an American lawyer, a leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union. He defended high-profile clients in many famous trials of the early 20th century, including teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in 1924 and teacher John T. Scopes in the Scopes "Monkey" Trial in 1925.

John Peter Altgeld was the 20th Governor of Illinois and first Democrat to serve as Governor of the state since the 1850's. He passed away at the age 54 on March 12, 1902.

Ground broke on the Illinois Capitol on March 11, 1868 and was completed 20 years later at a cost of $4.5 million.

On March 10, 1849, Abraham Lincoln submitted his patent for the invention of inflatable bladders to help lift boats over shoals or obstructions while traveling down rivers.

David Davis was the United States Senator from Illinois as well as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He served as Abraham Lincoln's campaign manager at the 1860 Republican National Convention. He was born on March 9, 1815.

Spring migration begins earlier each year, but early March is when various birds begin leaving or returning to Illinois.

Lucy Parsons was an American labor organizer and is remembered as a powerful orator. Parsons entered the radical movement following her marriage to newspaper editor Albert Parsons and moved with him from Texas to Chicago. She died in a house fire on March 7, 1942.

On March 6, 1848 Illinois ratified its constitution to abolish slavery throughout the state.

Best known for his side-splitting roles in National Lampoon's Animal House and SNL, actor-comedian John Belushi died on March 5, 1982, at the age of 33 of a drug overdose.

On March 4, 1914, ground broke on what would eventually become 'The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field' in Chicago.

Springfield was chosen as the third and final state capital of Illinois on March 3, 1837.

The Associated Negro Press, a national and international news agency, was established in Chicago in 1919 by Claude Barnett.

On March 1, 1874, traditionally the start of the Great Lakes shipping season, Grosse Point Lighthouse sent its welcome beacon of light over the waters of Lake Michigan for the first time.