This Week in Illinois History
This Week in Illinois History provides a 90-second snapshot of an event significant to Illinois history. Join Host Clint Cargile as he covers big events while also exposing little-known pieces of Illinois history.
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The DeKalb winged ear logo is recognized around the world. Its origin traces back to one of the nation’s first organized farm associations.
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Cleaning up after your holiday parties? Pause to thank Illinoisan Josephine Cochrane for making your life a lot easier.
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No other character personifies early 20th-century, pop-culture Americana better than Raggedy Ann, the creation of Arcola, Illinois, native Johnny Gruelle.
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After a great flood nearly destroys one of Illinois’ oldest towns, the state takes a huge step. It moves the whole town to higher ground.
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Chester, Illinois native E. C. Segar spent years working as a struggling cartoonist until he created one of the world's most iconic characters: Popeye the Sailor.
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At the height of World War II, scientists in the U. S. raced to build a nuclear weapon before Germany. One of the first stages of this race, the harnessing of nuclear energy, took place beneath the grandstand of a football field in Chicago.
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Barbed wire may seem like a simple invention, but when it was invented in the 1870s, it changed the world, made millions for its creators and put DeKalb, Illinois on the map.
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Bessie Coleman had to travel to Paris, France to fulfill her dream of becoming a pilot. Though her life came to a tragic end, she inspired generations of Black women.
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In early November 1838, the first railroad in Illinois went into operation. The train went on a symbolic, eight-mile run, introducing the state to the transportation that would dominate the next century.
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In late 1872 a horse epidemic brought the nation to a standstill. Never before had the country’s ability to conduct business been so paralyzed.