172 years of the Illinois State Fair

• State Fair

The Illinois State Fair has been around since 1853, held for the first time in Springfield at a wooded 20-acre site located one mile west of the Old State Capitol.

Since its beginning, the fair has focused on promoting Illinois’ innovation, methods of agriculture and raising livestock. It has also displayed Illinois’ leading improvements in labor, industry, education, arts and sciences. The fair was also intended to provide an opportunity for famers to exchange ideas.

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Illinois Olympians at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics

The Paris Summer Olympic Games are finally here – and an impressive 39 athletes representing the United States are from Illinois! Later this summer, Paris is also hosting the 2024 Paralympic Games from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.

Only three U.S. states will send more Olympic athletes to the 2024 Paris Games than Illinois. California will send 120 athletes, Florida has 42 and Texas has 41, according to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Illinois athletes will compete in multiple sports including soccer, wrestling, volleyball, rowing, rhythmic gymnastics and more.

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Illinois woman invented the modern dishwasher

• Dishwasher
• Inventions

“If nobody else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I’ll do it myself,” were the renowned words of an Illinois woman whose invention impacted domestic living for generations across the U.S. Josephine Cochran is the original inventor of the first practical dishwasher and established the Garis-Cochran Dish-Washing Company in 1897 to manufacture the new, innovative device. After moving to Illinois from Ohio, Cochran built her prototype in a shed behind her house in Shelbyville. It could fit plates, cups and saucers inside a set of wire compartments and pumped hot soapy water onto the dishes, avoiding common issues like chipping and unwanted wear.

In 1886, Cochran secured a patent for her dishwasher design with the assistance of mechanic George Butters. Her design featured a motor, water wheel, a boiler to heat the water, and a rack system to hold the dishes neatly in place as they were sprayed with the soapy water. While Cochran’s dishwasher was the first to be commercialized, she initially sold them to hotels and restaurants to demonstrate its value in multiple settings. The large-size model of the dishwasher could wash and dry 240 dishes in two minutes. The success of her dishwasher enticed hospitals and colleges to purchase the machine for its effortless sanitizing effects.

Cochran’s dishwasher gained support and recognition from businesses, hospitals and schools, but it was not until the 1950s when dishwashers became popular and successful in American households. She was posthumously inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. Thanks to her persistence in seeing her invention succeed, Cochran formed a legacy for herself and changed the domestic experience for all Americans.

Illinois named 4th best state for sports lovers

Sports combine recreation, community and entertainment, making them one of the favorite activities for people of all ages, especially in Illinois.

According to SmileHub, a non-profit charity rating organization, Illinois is the 4^th best state for sports lovers in the U.S. SmileHub compared all 50 states using 20 key metrics related to three main themes, including sports interest and success, sports careers and income and access to sports.

Illinois ranked 6^th for sports interest and success, 8^th for sports careers and income, and 5^th for access to sports – with an overall ranking of 4^th and a total score of 48.5.

Sports are extremely popular in Illinois due to various reasons. Illinois is home to one of 11 cities across the U.S. that have a team in each of the five major professional sports leagues. Illinois is also home to two professional women’s sports teams, the Chicago Sky in the Women’s National Basketball Association and the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League. Illinois also has prominent minor league sports teams and pre-professional sports clubs in soccer, baseball, hockey and more.

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