National Cartoon Day: Jack Higgins

May 5 is National Cartoonist Day. Did you know Illinois was home to Jack Higgins, a Pulitzer Prize- winning cartoonist?

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Chicago Ferris wheel origin

Throughout spring, summer, and fall months, you can experience the joys of modern day carnivals. You can experience everything from rides, animals, food, and so much more. One of the prominent parts of a carnival is a Ferris wheel. Today, hundreds of Ferris wheels tower over cities and fairgrounds around the world. Today’s wheels are very different from the original wheel, which originated in Chicago during the World’s Fair of 1893.

George Washington Ferris Jr. was a civil engineer specializing in bridges and other structural-steel designs when Chicago announced a competition for a centerpiece for its 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.  Ferris proposed building a 264-foot wheel with suspended carriages that could take 2,160 passengers at a time for a bird’s-eye view of the fairgrounds. Ferris was declared the contest winner — and his success would attach his name to all subsequent versions of the device, including the new Ferris wheel.  

In 1893, Ferris certainly gave Chicago what they were looking for. Ferris’ contraption rotated on a 71-ton, 45-foot axle that had, at the time, the world’s largest hollow forging.

Although the original wheel was not preserved, Ferris’ idea lives on at small town carnivals and at major landmark attractions across the globe. In addition, the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier shares a few similarities with the original: its gondolas are larger and enclosed and its height is closer to the original’s dazzling 264 feet. Get out, ride the wheel, and remember the history!

Illinois History Day

May 1, 2025 is Illinois History Day! Illinois was discovered in 1673 by explorer Louis Jolliet and Jesuit Father Jacques Marquette when they floated down the great Mississippi, returning up the Illinois River and crossed the portage to Lake Michigan where Chicago now stands.

Cahokia, Illinois' first permanent European settlement, was established in 1699 along the Mississippi River across from what is now St. Louis. The French and Indian War, or Seven Years' War, came to an end in 1763 with a victory for Britain, which gains control over the Illinois country. With the end of the American Revolution in 1783, Illinois became territory of the United States − technically part of the state of Virginia. Illinois would later join the Union on Dec. 3, 1818 – becoming the 21^st state.

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Artist of the Month: Curtis Mayfield

Did you know one of the most influential soul musicians is from Illinois?

Curtis Mayfield was born in raised in Chicago, living in the Cabrini-Green housing development while attending school alongside his four siblings, mother and grandmother.

He received his first guitar at 10 years old, where he taught himself how to play while admiring blues signers such as Muddy Waters. At 16, he joined the music group “The Roosters” with his friend, Jerry Butler, and brothers, Arthur and Richard Brooks, where they sang and composed music.

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