Just one look at the Chicago skyline or our booming farmland down south, and you will immediately realize how much innovation has come out of Illinois. But there are a lot of amazing things that Illinois was the first to do that you might not even realize. So we’re counting down ten things that Illinois was the first to do:

  1. Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment

Mr.TinDC/Flickr The 13th Amendment abolished slavery

  1. The first skyscraper…in the WORLD…was built in Chicago (1885)

Brent Payne/Flickr

  1. The first McDonalds franchise was put in Des Plaines–and you can visit the museum today (1955)

Jerry Huddleston/Flickr

  1. The first ferris wheel was invented in Illinois and debuted at the World’s Fair (1893)

amateur photography/Flickr The capacity for the ride? Over two THOUSAND people

  1. The first vacuum cleaner was actually developed in a Chicago basement (1869)

Paul Roth/Flickr Domestic goddesses everywhere are appreciative!

  1. The first successful open-heart surgery was performed in Illinois (1893)

epsos.de/Flickr Daniel Hale Williams, the surgeon, was also the first African-American cardiologist

  1. The cellphone was invented in Schaumburg (1973)

Gary Barber/Flickr Cellphones are such a huge part of our lives. Where would we be without them?

  1. The first mechanical dishwasher was developed in Shelbyville (1885)

andrea castelli/Flickr Not having to wash dishes by hand = AMAZING

  1. After the Civil War, Greene Vardiman Black started practicing dentistry

Matt Lemmon/Flickr Pro: your teeth are cleaner. Con: getting a filling SUUUUUUCKS

  1. The game of softball was invented as a winter alternative to baseball (1887)

Steven Pisano/Flickr

Those are a lot of firsts–and that list doesn’t even include the LONG list of things that we perfected here in Illinois!

Mr.TinDC/Flickr

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery

Brent Payne/Flickr

Jerry Huddleston/Flickr

amateur photography/Flickr

The capacity for the ride? Over two THOUSAND people

Paul Roth/Flickr

Domestic goddesses everywhere are appreciative!

epsos.de/Flickr

Daniel Hale Williams, the surgeon, was also the first African-American cardiologist

Gary Barber/Flickr

Cellphones are such a huge part of our lives. Where would we be without them?

andrea castelli/Flickr

Not having to wash dishes by hand = AMAZING

Matt Lemmon/Flickr

Pro: your teeth are cleaner. Con: getting a filling SUUUUUUCKS

Steven Pisano/Flickr

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.