Illinois had two different state capitals before Springfield
Three rivers form part of the boundary of Illinois
The Chicago River is dyed green on St. Patrick’s Day
The flow of the Chicago River was reversed on January 1, 1900
The official language of Illinois was not English but was known simply as the American language
With nearly 10,000 miles of railroad tracks in Illinois, it is the second most in the US
Train tracks in Chicago, Illinois, are set on fire to prevent rails from contracting and failing due to stress
Chicago, Illinois, was the starting point of Route 66
Telephone communication services started in 1878 in Chicago
In 1922, the first radio station broadcast was made in Illinois from Tuscola
Machines from pinball machine manufacturer, Stern, in Elk Grove Village, are used worldwide
The largest pinball machine ever made can be seen in the Chicago Museum of Science
Boeing, the world’s largest commercial aerospace company, is headquartered in Chicago
Since the early nineties, Chicago has been known as the candy capital of the world
In 1814, The Kaskaskia Illinois Herald was the first newspaper printed in Illinois
Barack Obama, a former U.S. president, was elected while living in Illinois
Ronald Reagan is the only U.S. president born in Illinois
Abraham Lincoln worked as a postmaster in New Salem, Illinois
Waukegan, the largest city in Lake County, began life as a French trading post
A landmark along Route 159 in Collinsville, Illinois, is the largest Catsup bottle in the world
Illinois is also considered to be one of the most politically corrupt states in the U.S.