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.