Carol Mosely Braun was born in Chicago on August 16, 1947. She earned her political science and law degrees from the University of Illinois and began working as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago in 1973.

Moseley Braun served in the Illinois House of Representatives for ten years, beginning in 1978, before she was elected recorder of deed for Cook County, Illinois.

In 1992, Moseley Braun defeated Democratic incumbent Senator Alan Dixon in the primary. Then, she went on to defeat Republican opponent Richard Williamson to become the first African-American elected to the U.S. Senate.

She was also the first woman to defeat an incumbent U.S. Senator in an election and the first and only female Senator from Illinois. She later served as U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand.

Learn more:
Carol Moseley Braun's profile on Biography.com
United States Senate Biography
Encyclopedia Britannica

John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), set in the fictional Illinois town of Haddonfield (somewhere between Pontiac and Dwight in Livingston County), introduced horror audiences to the menacing Michael Myers, or “The Shape” as he was referenced in the film’s closing credits.

The iconic (and seemingly immortal) horror villain is well known for the snow white mask he wears. What you might not be aware of is that his mask started out as a Star Trek Captain Kirk Halloween mask before being eerily transformed by the movie crew. What led them to use this mask? According to the producers, the mask had a blank, emotionless look they liked and costing only $1.98 at the time, it was much cheaper than creating a face from scratch.

To date, there have been nine films in the franchise to feature Myers, including two installments of a recent reboot. Michael doesn’t appear to be finished just yet either. In April 2014, The Weinstein Company announced that another new film is currently in development.

Learn more:
More information on the Halloween series
Frequently asked questions about the original Halloween film

Despite being based in rural Pennsylvania, Milton Hershey discovered his now-famous milk chocolate recipe in Chicago at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893?

While on a work-related trip to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, Hershey stumbled upon a German chocolate maker’s exhibit. At the time, Hershey was only producing caramel confections. Deciding that chocolate was the way of the future, Hershey purchased the entire exhibit on the spot and had it shipped back to his factory in Lancaster, PA. The rest is history.

Learn more:
The history of the Hershey Bar
A brief history of chocolate
The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition

Gorey, born on February 22, 1925, is known for his many books that feature strange characters, mythical creatures and double-crossing villains. Gorey’s most famous work is his alphabet book, titled “The Gashlycrumb Tinies,” which starts out with, “A is for Amy, who fell down the stairs.”

Gorey was influenced by his family and claimed to have inherited his talents from his great-grandmother, who was a popular 19th-century greeting card writer and artist. Gorey worked hard to become successful. He attended Harvard University, where he studied French and roomed with poet Frank O'Hara. After graduating, Gorey founded the Poets' Theatre in Cambridge with O’Hara and other Harvard alumni in the early 1950s.

He blended Goth and comedy in his works. Many of his illustrations were shown in publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times. His animations were also showcased on the “PBS Mystery” series.

Later in his career, he shifted his focus to adult works and ended up with a Tony Award for his amazing costume design for the 1977 Broadway production of “Dracula.”

In his later years, Gorey moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts and purchased an old sea captain’s home, which is now a place you can visit called The Edward Gorey House.  By the time he had passed away in 2002, Edward Gorey had published more than 100 independent works and illustrated many others.

Learn more:
Edward Gorey’s biography
Read the famously gruesome children’s alphabet book, “The Gashlycrumb Tinies”
View samplings of his unique works

Tempestt Bledsoe was born Aug. 1, 1973 in Chicago.

Her acting career started when she as just 4 years old. She was in various commercials for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes. When she was 9 years old, she auditioned for The Cosby Show and got the part of the fourth child, Vanessa Huxtable.

The premier of The Cosby show was on September 20, 1984, when Bledsoe was 11 years old. The show was a huge success to viewers all over the US. It not only was full of comedy, but also redefined America’s perception of African-American families. The Cosby Show had its final season in 1992.

After The Cosby Show, Bledsoe took time off from acting to complete her degree at NYU. She then moved to Los Angeles and ended up hosting her own talk show called The Tempestt Bledsoe Show in 1995. Bledsoe continues to appear on television. In 2006 she was on Celebrity Fit Club and in 2009, she and her boyfriend appeared on Househusbands of Hollywood.

The success of the Cosby Show was a good starting job for Bledsoe, and to some she will always be Vanessa Huxtable.

Learn more:
Tempestt Bledsoe's IMDB Profile