Actor John Malkovich was born on December 9, 1953 in Christopher. He and his four siblings were raised in Benton by his mother, an editor for a local newspaper, and his father, who was the conservation director for the state of Illinois. His passion for acting took root during his time at Illinois State University, and it grew rapidly thereafter. After trying his hand at acting, Malkovich decided to leave Illinois State in 1976 and join the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.  Though he found success starring in onstage performances, he had to work other jobs in order to make ends meet. This included driving a school bus, painting houses, and working for a landscaping company on his spare time.

In 1984 Malkovich made debuted in his first major role with actor Dustin Hoffman in the Broadway rendition of Death Of a Salesman, and shortly after was cast in his first film, The Killing Fields. His role in the 1984 film Places in the Heart earned him his first Oscar nomination, and his second nomination came for his supporting role in the 1993 movie In The Line Of Fire.

In 1999, he helped to produce the film Being John Malkovich, which offered the viewer a unique glimpse inside his mind. He has remained very active throughout his career by starring, acting, or directing a film nearly every year since 1984. His filmography includes more than 75 movies and TV series, and he has played a role in five different film and TV projects in 2014 alone.

Learn more:
John Malkovich's IMDb profile

Given its central location on the map and its position on the Great Lakes, Illinois has been a long-time hub of America’s transportation system, which includes the relatively recent introduction of the Interstate Highway System.

Twelve primary (one- and two-digit) interstate routes pass through Illinois, the most of any state in the nation: Interstates 24, 39, 55, 57, 64, 70, 72, 74, 80, 88, 90 and 94. This extensive interstate network not only connects Illinois with relatively close cities such as, St. Louis, Des Moines and Milwaukee, but far-off locales such as, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Minneapolis, Baltimore and Boston. It also is possible to travel to all of Illinois’ neighbors solely by interstate highway.

Learn more:
The Interstate Guide is an extensive reference for the entire Interstate Highway System.
The Federal Highway Administration is the official site for the Interstate Highway System.

Sean Hayes was born on June 26, 1970 in Glen Ellyn. His childhood was filled with laughter and joking with his siblings. Growing up without a father, he made sure he viewed the positive in his life more than anything else. Hayes’ talents were channeled towards comedy throughout his high school years, and after graduation, he pursued voice and acting at Illinois State University.

Hayes started performing in theatres around Chicago after he completed training with the Second City improv troupe. In 1995, Hayes moved to Los Angeles to audition for several different gigs. He is most famous for playing the hilarious, flamboyant Jack McFarland on “Will & Grace.” Hayes went on to win an Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards from his role on the show.

After the show ended in 2006, Hayes played several guest roles on programs, such as, “30 Rock,” “Portlandia,” and “Parks & Recreation.” He also owns a production company, Hazy Mills, which has launched the series “Grimm” and “Hot in Cleveland.”

Learn more:
Sean Hayes' IMDb profile
Sean Hayes Biography

Before Mikan entered DePaul University in 1942, players of his height — he was 6’10 — were considered inferior to those who were shorter and more nimble. Still, first-year DePaul coach Ray Meyer believed Mikan could use his height as an advantage and turned the clumsy freshman into one of the most dominant players of his time.

Mikan could use his height to shoot a hook shot with either hand over any defender, and used his size and strength to defend in the low post. Mikan was so dominant that the NCAA had to add a rule to prevent Mikan’s goaltending — swatting the ball away as it was coming down toward the basket.

His dominance continued into the NBA, which also changed rules to counter Mikan’s ability. In 1951, the foul lane was widened to 12 feet —dubbed “the Mikan Rule” — which kept big men from parking under the basket. A few years later, the NBA instituted a shot clock to prevent teams from merely passing the ball just to keep it away from Mikan.

After his playing career ended, Mikan had a brief foray into coaching and then devoted his time to his law practice. In 1967, he became the commissioner of the fledgling ABA and was the person responsible for that league’s iconic red-white-and-blue basketball.

Mikan died in 2005 from complications of diabetes. His legacy lives on in his hometown of Joliet, where there is a mural and a statue dedicated to “Mr. Basketball.”

Learn more:
Check out Mikan’s career statistics from his time with the Lakers as well those from his college days
A compilation of highlights from Mikan’s pro career

Herbie Hancock was born in in Chicago in 1940 and showed promise on the piano at an early age. By age 11, his classical music training had led him to perform a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Eventually, Hancock moved to New York after leaving college, quickly making a name for himself. In 1962, he recorded his first solo record, “Takin’ Off,” which is notable for the tune “Watermelon Man.” The record also put him on the radar of fellow Illinoisan Miles Davis, who recruited Hancock for the famed trumpeter’s so-called “Second Great Quartet.”

Davis exerted a profound influence on Hancock as a composer and bandleader, and following Davis’ foray into electric instrumentation, Hancock formed Headhunters. Hancock used electric pianos and early synthesizers with Headhunters, and that group pioneered the jazz-funk genre in the early 1970s, with such songs as “Chameleon” and a reworked version of “Watermelon Man.” He continued pushing musical boundaries during the next several years, and in the early 1980s, he scored a huge hit with “Rockit,”which was heavily influenced by the burgeoning hip-hop/breakdance scene.

Today, Hancock is still an active performer, performing with artists such as, The Roots, Flying Lotus and Kanye West.

Learn more:
Read his biography from Blue Note Records, his first record label.
Hancock has an extensive discography of more than 200 releases.