Robin Williams was born in Chicago’s St. Luke’s Hospital on July 21, 1951.

Although his family hailed from Mississippi, including a grandfather who was a former senator and governor there, Williams attended both elementary school and a portion of junior high in Illinois. His father, a senior automotive executive for the Ford Motor Company, was transferred from Illinois to Michigan in 1963, setting Williams on a path that would eventually lead to California and stardom.

Williams was famous for many characters, including the alien Mork from Ork in the ABC sitcom “Mork and Mindy” and the Genie in the Disney film “Aladdin.”

While known mainly for his comedic talents, Williams was nominated numerous times for his dramatic work, including nominations for Best Actor as the Army disc jockey Adrian Cronauer in “Good Morning, Vietnam” and as English professor John Keating in “Dead Poets Society.” Williams won the Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance as Sean Maguire in “Good Will Hunting.”

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To learn more about the life & work of Robin Williams, please visit his website
Click here for a comprehensive list of his works on IMDb

Judy Chicago, born Judith Sylvia Cohen, is a well-respected artist and activist. Her art has been displayed throughout the world, from the U.S. and Canada to Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Chicago’s work reflects feminist activism that transcends the art world. Perhaps her most well-known piece is “The Dinner Party,” an art instillation that consists of 39 table settings, along with 999 names of women who have made a mark on history, drawing attention to often-overlooked women figures. The piece, which was executed between 1974 and 1979, went to 16 exhibitions in six countries. It now resides at the Brooklyn Museum as the centerpiece of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art.

Chicago legally changed her last name in 1970 as a way of “divesting herself of all names imposed upon her through male social dominance.” Her career has covered five decades, leading to multiple publications and a worldwide following. 

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Want to learn more about Judy Chicago? Visit her website
Judy Chicago Biography

Robert Wadlow was born in Alton on February 22, 1918, the first-born of Addie and Harold Wadlow. While he was born an average size, Wadlow started growing at a rapid pace as a toddler, already reaching 5’4” by the age of 5. By the time he was 10, Wadlow was already 6’5” and 210 pounds.

Wadlow’s extreme height was due to an over-active pituitary gland that created high levels of growth hormones. At the time, there was no medical treatment available to stem the high levels of hormones. Wadlow would grow to 8’11” by the age of 22.

Even with his extreme height, Wadlow lived a normal life. He was active in the Boy Scouts and traveled across the country with his father while working for the International Shoe Company. The “Gentle Giant” as he was known to many passed away 75 years ago this week and is buried in Upper Alton Cemetery.

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Robert Wadlow, World’s Tallest Man
Robert Pershing Wadlow – Alton Museum of History and Art

Ida B. Wells was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi on July 16, 1862. The daughter of former slaves, Wells moved with several of her siblings to Memphis in 1883 to teach in the Shelby County school system.

Shortly after moving, Wells was traveling on a Memphis & Charleston Railway train when she was ordered to give up her seat to a white man. After refusing, sparking an angry reaction from the conductor, she was forcibly removed from the train. Wells used the incident to bring attention to the massive societal injustices facing women and people of color at the time. In 1889, she began writing for the Free Speech and Headlight newspaper, an anti-segregationist publication that gave Wells an outlet for her work and advocacy. 

After three of Wells’ friends were lynched in 1892, Wells left Memphis for Chicago. There, she teamed with Jane Adams in blocking the establishment of segregated schools in the city and helped form numerous reform organizations to improve conditions for women and people of color. Wells helped form the NAACP and was one of the first African-American women to run for public office in the country when she ran for the Illinois state legislature in 1930.

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Jim Crow Stories – Ida B. Wells
Today’s Google Doodle Celebrates Journalist Ida B. Wells’ Birthday - Time.com

Recent college graduates have a host of small cities in Illinois to choose from that are great places to pursue a law career, according to a new study by the internet site GoodCall.com.

The study looked at a number of criteria in coming up with their Top 100 Small Cities for Law School Graduates, including the region’s average lawyer salary, housing affordability, art, entertainment and recreation amenities and employment attractiveness.

The list included the Illinois cities of Canton (8th), Lincoln (11th), Rochelle (51st), Centralia (55th), Quincy (68th), Macomb (69th), Charleston (73rd), Taylorville (77th), Galesburg (88th) and Jacksonville (89th).

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For a full ranking of cities, click here