With the Bears headed for another losing season, Illinois football fans may be looking for some uplifting sports information in these trying times.

What most football fans may not know is that the first NFL game in history was played in Rock Island, Illinois. The game, played at Douglas Park, was held on Sept. 26, 1920 between the Rock Island Independents and the St. Paul Ideals. The Rock Island Independents hosted and won in a blowout 48 points to 0.

Haven’t heard of these teams? Most folks haven’t. Only two of the original NFL teams still exist. The Chicago Cardinals, now the Arizona Cardinals, and the Decatur Staleys, who are now the Chicago Bears. The matchup in Rock Island followed decades of Illinois high school and college play in the late 1800s. There were other professional leagues that existed prior to the NFL, with many teams participating from Illinois. The rest is history as football went on to become an American tradition watched enthusiastically by millions today.

This December, add a bit of holiday cheer to your regular commute or explore new places by catching a ride on holiday transit offered across the state.

Whether by bus, train or trolley, these rides add joy and magic to cold winter days that the whole family can enjoy.

See our list below to plan your next ride:

Illinois has a storied history of innovation and the brownie is a sweet inclusion to that list of achievements. The brownie has become an American classic with 1.5 billion brownies consumed each year according to the National Brownie Committee of America. Brownies were not always part of the American diet, however, and in 1893 the world would get its first taste of the chocolate desert. 

The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago and its board included the first women to work on a world’s fair in an official capacity.  One of the chairwomen was Bertha Honore, wife of Potter Palmer, who built the famous Palmer House in the Chicago Loop in 1871.  Bertha requested a “chocolate cake-like treat” that could be easily transported for the fair. The Palmer House’s pastry chef, Joseph Sehl, was tasked with and created the first brownie batch, complete with walnuts and apricot glaze.

The brownies were a hit and were featured five years later in a Sears Roebuck catalog and the rest is history. “Bertha’s Brownie” is still served at the Palmer House’s Lockwood Restaurant using the original recipe.

Eight years ago Saturday the Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year-long World Series drought. A great memory in the minds of many Illinoisans, the Cubbies defeated the Cleveland Indians four games to three, cementing their first World Series win since 1908.

The Cubs won the National League Central Division with 103 wins and 58 losses. The World Series matchup was highly anticipated as the Cubs and the Indians had the longest World Series title droughts at that time. The Cubs title drought was attributed to the “Curse of the Billy Goat” in local folklore, which lasted from 1945 to 2016. After being down one to three games against the Indians, the Cubs managed to win three games in a row with a final nail biter game seven going to the 10th inning.

In the aftermath of the Cubs game seven victory, the city of Chicago hosted millions of fans from across the state. Fans of the ball team were ecstatic to see the Cubs win the Series within their lifetime. The celebration and parade following the Cubs victory would draw five million people making it the seventh largest gathering in history.