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Since first convening in 1789, the U.S. Senate has had nine African-American members, three of whom from Illinois.
Carol Moseley-Braun broke many barriers when she assumed office in 1993. Not only was she the fourth African-American U.S. Senator, she was also the first African-American woman and the first female from Illinois to serve in the Senate.
Barack Obama became the fifth African-American U.S. Senator when he was elected in 2005, followed by Roland Burris, who was appointed to fill Obama’s seat in 2008.
The make-up of the current Senate includes two African-American Senators, Cory Booker from New Jersey and Tim Scott from South Carolina.
Learn more:
Breaking New Ground – African American Senators
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Abraham Lincoln gave his historic Farewell Address to a crowd of more than 1,000 Springfield townspeople 154 years ago today.
Recently elected to serve as the nation’s 16th President, Lincoln was leaving Springfield en route to Washington D.C. when he gave the famous speech from a train platform. With the nation on the brink of Civil War, Lincoln’s speech was somber, telling the crowd “I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than which rested upon Washington.”
The speech was delivered at the Great Western Depot on 10th and Monroe Streets, a building that is still standing.
Learn more:
Abraham Lincoln’s Farewell Address Revealed His ‘Tragic Optimism’ (U.S. News & World Report)
Abraham Lincoln Online
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Joyner-Kersee was born on March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis. She has been hailed as one of the world’s greatest athletes of all time. She is the holder of three Olympic gold medals, one silver, and two bronze. This makes her the most decorated female athlete in track and field history.
Joyner-Kersee was a star at a young age. In high school she won several awards, and set the Illinois women’s high school long-jump record. After high school she attended UCLA on a full-ride scholarship, and began training for the Olympics.
Her reputation as one of the world’s greatest athletes is well deserved. In 1988 she set four world records in the heptathlon, an Olympic track-and-field competition that consists of seven separate events.
Learn more:
Official website of Jackie Joyner-Kersee
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Did you know the 400-pound lithium-ion battery used to power the Chevy Volt was developed in Illinois?
Argonne National Laboratory is located near Lemont. In 2011, the scientists at Argonne revolutionized the production of hybrid cars with a breakthrough development that lead to the creation of a 400-pound lithium-ion battery that powers the Chevy Volt in electric mode.
Argonne’s scientists were able to alter the battery’s chemistry to allow it to last longer, run more safely and perform better than other electric car batteries.
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Argonne's role in developing the Volt battery
Argonne National Laboratory
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Aaron Montgomery Ward started his mail order business in Chicago in 1872. While companies at the time were putting out single page mail order ads, Ward was the first to send out a multiple-item price list. The catalog targeted the rural consumer who wanted the comforts of city life. Ward’s catalog made such comforts available to rural communities.
In 1896 Ward’s catalog began receiving competition from the Sears and Roebuck Company, who began to put out their own catalog. Although neither company puts out a mail-order catalog anymore, Ward’s catalog is still regarded as an influential relic from American life.
Learn more:
Read more about Montgomery Ward
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