Want some crazy trivia about Illinois that you can wow your friends with? Here are 10 things about Illinois that they just don’t teach you in school.
- Chicago’s name derives from a word meaning “wild onions.”
Bert Kaufmann/Flickr
- Kaskaskia, not Springfield, was the first capital of Illinois.
Matt Turner/Flickr
- Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery.
Stephanie Seskin/Flickr
- Illinois produces more nuclear energy than any other state.
IAEA Imagebank/Flickr
- Aurora is called the “city of lights” because it was the first city in the country to use all electric lighting.
Doug Kerr/Flickr
- Abraham Lincoln’s first public office was as postmaster in New Salem, Illinois.
Eric Salard/Flickr
- The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885.
Kevin Dooley/Flickr
- Cahokia Mounds (Collinsville) was home to one of the most sophisticated pre-Columbian communities in the world.
Steve Moses/Flickr
- The first McDonalds was located right in Des Plaines.
BWChicago/Flickr
- The prison camp where the most people died during the Civil War was actually in Rock Island.
Farragutful/Flickr
I feel smarter!
Bert Kaufmann/Flickr
Matt Turner/Flickr
Stephanie Seskin/Flickr
IAEA Imagebank/Flickr
Doug Kerr/Flickr
Eric Salard/Flickr
Kevin Dooley/Flickr
Steve Moses/Flickr
BWChicago/Flickr
Farragutful/Flickr
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