The following is a

timeline A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...

of the

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

of the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Before the 19th century

* 1673:

French-Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the prov ...

explorers

Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette, Society of Jesus, S.J. (; June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Society of Jesus, Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Ste. M ...

and

Louis Jolliet Louis Jolliet (; September 21, 1645after May 1700) was a French-Canadian explorer known for his discoveries in North America. In 1673, Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit Catholic priest and missionary, were the first non-Natives to explore ...

, on their way to

Québec Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...

, pass through the area that will become Chicago. * 1677: Father Claude Allouez arrived to try to convert the natives to Christianity * 1682: French explorer

René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle René (''born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name ( Renée being the feminin ...

, passes through Chicago en route to the mouth of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. * 1696:

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

missionary Francois Pinet founds the

Mission of the Guardian Angel The Mission of the Guardian Angel () was a 17th-century Society of Jesus, Jesuit Jesuit missions in North America, mission in the vicinity of what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was established in 1696 by Father François Pinet, a French Jesuit prie ...

. It is abandoned four years later. * 1705: Conflicts develop between French traders and the

Meskwaki The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...

. * 1719: The

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

Indian Tribe settle in the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

and in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

of the United States. * 1754: The

Illinois Country The Illinois Country ( ; ; ), also referred to as Upper Louisiana ( ; ), was a vast region of New France claimed in the 1600s that later fell under Spanish and British control before becoming what is now part of the Midwestern United States. Whi ...

becomes part of

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

, days later

The French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

begins with the war against the British. * 1763: The Illinois Country falls to British Troops after the defeat of New France. * 1775: The Revolutionary War begins with America declaring independence from Britain. * 1778: The

Illinois Campaign The Illinois campaign, also known as Clark's Northwestern campaign, was a series of engagements during the American Revolutionary War in which a small force of Virginia militia led by George Rogers Clark seized control of several British outposts ...

is born under the command of

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American military officer and surveyor from Virginia who became the highest-ranking Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot military officer on the American frontier, nort ...

to lead the fight against major British outposts scattered across the country. * 1780s:

Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (; also spelled Point de Sable, Point au Sable, Point Sable, Pointe DuSable, or Pointe du Sable; before 1750 – August 28, 1818) is regarded as the first permanent non-Native settler of what would later become Chic ...

establishes Chicago's first permanent settlement near the mouth of the

Chicago River The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). The river is one of the reasons for Chicago's geographic importance: the related Chic ...

. * 1795: Six square miles (16 km²) of land at the mouth of the

are reserved by the

Treaty of Greenville The Treaty of Greenville, also known to Americans as the Treaty with the Wyandots, etc., but formally titled ''A treaty of peace between the United States of America, and the tribes of Indians called the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanees, Ottawas ...

for use by the United States. * 1796: Kittahawa, du Sable's

Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...

Indian wife, delivers Eulalia Point du Sable, Chicago's first recorded birth.

19th century

1800s–1840s

* 1803: The

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

orders the construction of

Fort Dearborn Fort Dearborn was a United States fort, first built in 1803 beside the Chicago River, in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by U.S. troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secre ...

by Major

John Whistler John Whistler ( 1756 – 3 September 1829) was a soldier, born in County Londonderry, Ireland. He ran away from home when a boy, enlisted in the British army, and served as a colour sergeant under General John Burgoyne during the American Revolu ...

. It is built near the mouth of the Chicago River. * 1812 ** June 17,

Jean La Lime Jean La Lime or Lalime (died June 17, 1812) was a trader from Quebec, Canada who worked in what became the Northwest Territory of the United States. He worked as an agent for William Burnett, also of Canada, to sell to the Native Americans and tak ...

is killed by

John Kinzie John Kinzie (December 23, 1763 – June 6, 1828) was a fur trader from Quebec who first operated in Detroit and what became the Northwest Territory of the United States. A partner of William Burnett from Canada, about 1802-1803 Kinzie moved w ...

, making him the first recorded murder victim in Chicago. ** August 15, the

Battle of Fort Dearborn The Battle of Fort Dearborn (sometimes called the Fort Dearborn Massacre) was an engagement between United States troops and Potawatomi Native Americans that occurred on August 15, 1812, near Fort Dearborn in what is now Chicago, Illinois (at that ...

. * 1816: The Treaty of St. Louis is signed in

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, Missouri. Ft. Dearborn is rebuilt. * 1818: December 3,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

joins the Union and becomes a state. Chicago in 1820

* 1830 ** August 4, Chicago is surveyed and platted for the first time by James Thompson. ** Population: "Less than 100". * 1833 **

1833 Treaty of Chicago The 1833 Treaty of Chicago was an agreement between the United States government and the Chippewa, Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes. It required them to cede to the United States government their of land (including reservations) in Illinois, ...

** Chicago incorporated as a town. * 1835 ** August 31, about 800

men gathered for a

war dance A war dance is a dance involving mock combat, usually in reference to tribal warrior societies where such dances were performed as a ritual connected with endemic warfare. Martial arts in various cultures can be performed in dance-like setting ...

in Chicago before being removed to west of the

. * 1837 ** Chicago incorporated as a city. ** Chicago receives its first charter. **

Rush Medical College Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1837, it is affiliated with Rush University Medical Center, and John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County. ...

is founded two days before the city was chartered. It is the first medical school in the state of Illinois which is still operating. ** The remaining 450

left Chicago. * 1840 ** July 10, Chicago's first legally executed criminal, John Stone was hanged for rape and murder. ** Population: 4,470. * 1843: Chicago's first cemetery, Chicago City Cemetery, was established in

Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US president Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, to near Ardmore Avenu ...

. * 1844: Lake Park designated. * 1847: June 10, The first issue of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' is published. * 1848 **

Chicago Board of Trade The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), is an American futures exchange, futures and options exchange that was founded in 1848. On July 12, 2007, the CBOT merged with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) to form CME Group. CBOT and three other excha ...

opens on April 3 by 82 local businessmen. **

Illinois and Michigan Canal The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. In Illinois, it ran from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru. The canal crossed the Chicago ...

opens and traffic begins moving faster. **

Galena and Chicago Union Railroad The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) was the first railroad constructed out of Chicago, intended to provide a shipping route between Chicago and the lead mines near Galena, Illinois. The railroad company was chartered on January 16, 183 ...

enters operation becoming the first railroad in Chicago * 1849 ** Wauconda is founded. 1830 Map of Chicago

1850s–1890s

* 1850: Population: 29,963. * 1851 ** Chicago's first institution of higher education,

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

, is founded. ** Jewish Graceland Cemetery, aka Hebrew Benevolent Society Cemetery, the oldest existing

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

cemetery in Chicago, was founded. * 1852: Mercy Hospital becomes the first hospital in

. * 1853 ** October: State Convention of the Colored Citizens held in city. ** Union Park named. **

Oak Woods Cemetery Oak Woods Cemetery is a large lawn cemetery in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Located at 1035 E. 67th Street, it is in the Greater Grand Crossing area of Chicago's South Side. Established on February 12, 1853, it covers . Oak Woods is th ...

was founded. * 1854 ** A cholera epidemic took the lives of 5.5% of the population of Chicago. ** Cook County Cemetery at Dunning, Chicago's first major

Potter's field A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people. "Potter's field" is of Biblical origin, referring to Akeldama (meaning ''field of blood'' in Aramaic), stated to have been pur ...

, was founded near the Dunning Asylum. * 1855 **

Chicago Theological Seminary The Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) is a Christian ecumenical American seminary located in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of several seminaries historically affiliated with the United Church of Christ. It is the oldest institution of higher e ...

founded. ** Mount Olivet Cemetery was founded. ** April 21, Lager Beer riot. ** Population: 80,000. * 1856:

Chicago Historical Society Chicago History Museum is the museum of the Chicago Historical Society (CHS). The CHS was founded in 1856 to study and interpret Chicago's history. The museum has been located in Lincoln Park since the 1930s at 1601 North Clark Street at the ...

founded. * 1857 ** Iwan Ries & Co. Chicago's oldest family-owned business opens, still in operation today, the oldest family-owned tobacco shop. ** Mathias A. Klein & Sons (Klein Tools Inc.), still family owned and run today by fifth and sixth generation Klein's. **

Cook County Hospital The John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County (shortened ''Stroger Hospital'', formerly Cook County Hospital) is a public hospital in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is part of Cook County Health, along with Provident Hospital of Cook Cou ...

opens. **

Hyde Park House The Hyde Park House was a four-story wood frame upscale hotel in Chicago, built and run by Paul Cornell, that served as the centerpiece for Hyde Park social life from 1857 until 1879. It was located on 53rd Street adjacent to Lake Michigan on la ...

built. * 1859 **

McCormick Theological Seminary McCormick Theological Seminary is a private Presbyterian seminary in Chicago, Illinois. As of 2023, it shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Catholic Theological Union, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. A l ...

relocated. **

Rosehill Cemetery Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is a historic rural cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. At , it is the largest cemetery in the city of Chicago and its first private cemetery. The Entrance Gate and Administration ...

, Chicago's largest cemetery, was founded. * 1860 ** September 8, the '' Lady Elgin'' Disaster. ** Population: 112,172. ** Daprato Statuary Company (Currently

Daprato Rigali Studios Daprato Rigali Studios (formerly Daprato Statuary Company) is a nationally-recognized interior restoration and renovation company in Chicago. It was founded in 1860 by the Daprato brothers, Italian immigrants from the town of Barga. The company ...

) founded by the Daprato brothers, Italian immigrants from Barga. **

Graceland Cemetery Graceland Cemetery is a large historic garden cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Irving Park R ...

was founded. * 1865 ** May 1, over 100,000 people attended the procession of the

State funeral of Abraham Lincoln After Abraham Lincoln was Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated on April 14, 1865, a three-week series of events was held to mourn the death and memorialize the life of the List of presidents of the United States, 16th president of the ...

and the viewing at the Old Chicago Court House. On June 12, Chicago's Lake Park was re-named

in his honor. ** 867 Confederate prisoners at

Camp Douglas (Chicago) Camp Douglas, in Chicago, Illinois was one of the largest Union Army prisoner-of-war camps for Confederate soldiers taken prisoner during the American Civil War. Although not alone in this distinction, it is sometimes described as "The North' ...

died, bringing the total death toll at the camp to 4,454. The majority of the Confederate prisoners were buried in a mass grave at

. ** Corporal punishment was abandoned in schools. ** Population: 178,492. * 1866 **

School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a Private university, private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which gr ...

founded. ** Chicago City Cemetery in

was permanently closed, and most of the bodies were moved to other cemeteries in the city. * 1867 ** Construction began on the

Water Tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...

Rand McNally Rand McNally is an American technology and publishing company that provides mapping software and hardware for consumer electronics, commercial transportation, and education markets. The company is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois with a di ...

is formed as a railway guide company. **

Lincoln Park Zoo Lincoln Park Zoo, also known as Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens, is a zoo in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The zoo was founded in 1868 and is the second oldest zoo in the United States. It is also one of a small number of zoos to offer fr ...

founded.

* 1869 **

Chicago Water Tower The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property and landmark in the Old Chicago Water Tower District in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built to enclose the tall machinery of a po ...

built. ** The first Illinois woman suffrage convention was held in Chicago ** The

Chicago Club The Chicago Club, founded in 1869, is a private social club located at 81 East Van Buren Street at Michigan Avenue in the Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Its membership has included many of Chicago's most prominent ...

is established. **

Washington Square Park Washington Square Park is a public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. The park is operated by the New York City Department o ...

being developed. * 1870 ** St. Ignatius College founded, later

Loyola University Loyola University is one of several Jesuit Universities named for St. Ignatius of Loyola. Loyola University may refer to: Democratic Republic of the Congo *Loyola University of Congo, Kinshasa, Congo Spain * Loyola University Andalusia, Sevilla ...

** Population: 298,977. * 1871: October 8 – 10, the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

. * 1872 **

Montgomery Ward Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a mail-order business and later a department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001; its common nickname was "Monkey Wards". ...

in business. **Establishment of the first Black fire company in the city. * 1873:

Chicago Public Library The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the Chicago, City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, three regional libraries, and branches distributed thr ...

established. * 1875: Holy Name Cathedral dedicated. * 1877 ** Bohemian National Cemetery was founded. ** Railroad strike. 1876 white stockings

* 1878 **

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...

established. ** ''Conservator'' newspaper begins publication. * 1879:

founded. * 1880 **

Polish National Alliance The Polish National Alliance (PNA) ( pol. Związek Narodowy Polski, (ZNP)) is the largest and one of the oldest Polish fraternal organizations in the United States. The original goal was to mobilize support among Polish Americans for the libera ...

headquartered in city. ** Population: 503,185. * 1881 ** Unsightly beggar ordinance effected. ** A

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

epidemic killed around 2,500 people.

* 1885:

Home Insurance Building The Home Insurance Building was a skyscraper that stood in Chicago from 1885 to its demolition in 1931. Originally ten stories and tall, it was designed by William Le Baron Jenney in 1884 and completed the next year. Two floors were added in ...

building was the first

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...

that stood in Chicago from 1885 to 1931. Originally ten stories and tall, it was designed by

William Le Baron Jenney William Le Baron Jenney (September 25, 1832 – June 14, 1907) was an American architect and engineer known for building the first skyscraper in 1884. In 1998, Jenney was ranked number 89 in the book ''1,000 Years, 1,000 People: Ranking th ...

in 1884 Two floors were added in 1891, bringing its now finished height to . It was the first tall building to be supported both inside and outside by a fireproof

structural steel Structural steel is steel used for making construction materials in a variety of shapes. Many structural steel shapes take the form of an elongated beam having a profile of a specific cross section (geometry), cross section. Structural steel sha ...

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

, though it also included

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

. A landmark lost to history and is considered the world's first skyscraper. * 1886 ** May 4, the

Haymarket riot The Haymarket affair, also known as the Haymarket massacre, the Haymarket riot, the Haymarket Square riot, or the Haymarket Incident, was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on May 4, 1886 at Haymarket Square i ...

. ** ''

Chicago Evening Post The ''Chicago Evening Post'' was a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, from March 1, 1886, until October 29, 1932, when it was absorbed by the ''Chicago Daily News''. The newspaper was founded as a penny paper during the technologica ...

'' published (until 1932). * 1887:

Newberry Library The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, and has been free and open to the public since 1887. The Newberry's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of our wo ...

established. * 1888:

Dearborn Observatory The Dearborn Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The observatory was originally constructed in 1888, through an agreement between the university and the Chicago Astronomical Soc ...

rebuilt. * 1889 **

Hull House Hull House was a settlement house in Chicago, Illinois, that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located on the Near West Side of Chicago, Hull House, named after the original house's first owner Charles Jerald Hul ...

founded. **

Auditorium Building The Auditorium Building is a structure at the northwest corner of South Michigan Avenue (Chicago), Michigan Avenue and Ida B. Wells Drive in the Chicago Loop, Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Completed in 1889, it is o ...

completed. **

Auditorium Theatre The Auditorium Theatre is a music and performance venue located in the Auditorium Building at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building was d ...

opened. ** Mount Olive Cemetery was founded. * 1890 ** The

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

is founded by

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the List of richest Americans in history, wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in modern hist ...

. ** Population: 1,099,850. * 1891 **

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

founded by Theodore Thomas. ** Provident Hospital founded. ** Serial killer

H.H. Holmes Herman Webster Mudgett (May 16, 1861 – May 7, 1896), better known as Dr. Henry Howard Holmes or H. H. Holmes, was an American con artist and serial killer active between 1891 and 1894. By the time of his execution in 1896, Holmes had engaged ...

murdered at least 5 people in

Englewood, Chicago Englewood is a neighborhood and community area located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is also the 68th of the 77 community areas in the city. At its peak population in 1960, over 97,000 people lived in its approxim ...

between 1891-1894. * 1892 ** June 6, The

Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad The South Side Elevated Railroad (originally Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad) was the first elevated rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois. The line ran from downtown Chicago to East 63rd branch (CTA), Jackson Park, with branches ...

, Chicago's first 'L' line, went into operation. **

Masonic Temple A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history I ...

for two years, the tallest building in Chicago. ** Streetcar tunnels in Chicago (under the Chicago River) in use until 1906. * 1893 ** May 1 – October 30, The

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...

(World's Fair);

World's Parliament of Religions There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World's Religions, the first being the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another c ...

held. **

October 28 Events Pre-1600 * 97 – Roman emperor Nerva is forced by the Praetorian Guard to adopt general Marcus Ulpius Trajanus as his heir and successor. * 306 – Maxentius is proclaimed Roman emperor. * 312 – Constantine I defeat ...

, Mayor

Carter Harrison III Carter Henry Harrison III (February 15, 1825October 28, 1893) was an American politician who served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1879 until 1887 and from 1893 until his assassination. He previously served two terms in the United States H ...

was assassinated by

Patrick Eugene Prendergast Patrick Eugene Joseph Prendergast (6 April 1868 – 13 July 1894) was an Irish-born American newspaper distributor who assassinated Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison III, fatally shooting the five-term mayor on October 28, 1893. Following two se ...

. **

Sears, Roebuck and Company Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...

in business. ** First

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a big wheel, giant wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondola ...

built by

George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. (February 14, 1859 – November 22, 1896) was an American civil engineer. He is mostly known for creating the original Ferris Wheel for the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition. Early life Ferris was bor ...

building opens. **

Monadnock Building The Monadnock Building (historically the Monadnock Block; pronounced ) is a 16-story skyscraper located at 53 West Jackson Boulevard in the Chicago Loop, south Loop area of Chicago. The north half of the building was designed by the firm of B ...

completed. ** Universal Peace Congress held. **

Chicago Civic Federation The Civic Federation is a Chicago-based non-partisan research organization focused on governments in the Chicago area and the state of Illinois. The Civic Federation's mission is to help local and state governments reduce their costs and improve ...

founded. * 1894 ** May 11 – August 2, the

Pullman Strike The Pullman Strike comprised two interrelated strikes in 1894 that shaped national labor policy in the United States during a period of deep economic depression. First came a strike by the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman Company' ...

. ** ''Ženské Listy'' women's magazine begins publication. **

Field Museum of Natural History The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educationa ...

established. * 1895: Marquette Building completed. * 1896 **

1896 Democratic National Convention The 1896 Democratic National Convention, held at the Chicago Coliseum from July 7 to July 11, was the scene of William Jennings Bryan's nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate for the 1896 U.S. presidential election. At age 36 ...

held; Bryan delivers

Cross of Gold speech The Cross of Gold speech was delivered by William Jennings Bryan, a former United States United States House of Representatives, Representative from Nebraska, at the 1896 Democratic National Convention, Democratic National Convention in Chicag ...

. ** Campaign "to improve municipal service and politics" begun in 1896. ** Abeny beauty shop and Tonnesen Sisters photo studio in business. * 1897 ** March 12, The Chicago Elevator Protective Association of Chicago was formed. Later, on July 15, 1901, to become the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 2. ** The Union Loop Elevated is completed. ** National union of meat packers formed. * 1898: National peace jubilee was held. * 1899 ** Cook County

juvenile court Juvenile court, also known as young offender's court or children's court, is a tribunal having special authority to pass judgements for crimes committed by children who have not attained the age of majority. In most modern legal systems, chi ...

established. ** Municipal Art League established. **

Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building The Sullivan Center, formerly known as the Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building or Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Store, is a commercial building at 1 South State Street at the corner of East Madison Street in Chicago, Illinois. Louis S ...

constructed. Chicago-Sanitary-and-Ship-Canal

NIE 1905 Chicago - map of business district

* 1900 **

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, historically known as the Chicago Drainage Canal, is a canal system that connects the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River. It reverses the direction of the Main Stem and the South Branch of the Chicago ...

opens; the

is completely reversed. ** Municipal Reference Library active (approximate date). ** Labor strike of machinists. ** Population: 1,698,575.

20th century

1900s–1940s

* 1902 ** Meatpacking strike. **

Montrose Cemetery Montrose Cemetery is an American cemetery located in Cook County, Illinois. The cemetery is located at 5400 North Pulaski Road, in Chicago, and was first opened in 1902. The cemetery has been family-owned since its' initial opening. History Mont ...

was founded. * 1903 ** December 30,

Iroquois Theater Fire The Iroquois Theatre fire was a catastrophic building fire in Chicago, Illinois, that broke out on December 30, 1903, during a performance attended by 1,700 people. The fire caused 602 deaths and 250 non-fatal injuries. It ranks as the worst ...

City Club of Chicago The City Club of Chicago is a 501 (c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization intended to foster civic responsibility, promote public issues, and provide Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois with a forum for open political debate. The ...

formed. * 1905 ** The

Industrial Workers of the World The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), whose members are nicknamed "Wobblies", is an international labor union founded in Chicago, United States in 1905. The nickname's origin is uncertain. Its ideology combines general unionism with indu ...

was founded in June ** Teamsters' strike. ** ''

Chicago Defender ''The Chicago Defender'' is a Chicago-based online African-American newspaper. It was founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott and was once considered the "most important" newspaper of its kind. Abbott's newspaper reported and campaigned against Jim ...

'' newspaper begins publication. **

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

rebuilding completed. **

Chicago Federal Building The Chicago Federal Building in Chicago, Illinois was constructed between 1898 and 1905 for the purpose of housing the Midwest's federal courts, main post office, and other government bureaus. It stood in The Loop neighborhood on a block bou ...

completed. * 1906 **

Municipal court A city court or municipal court is a court of law with jurisdiction limited to a city or other municipality. It typically addresses "violations of city ordinances and may also have jurisdiction over minor criminal cases...and over certain civil cas ...

established. ** The

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

defeated the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

in the only all-Chicago

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

. ** Sinclair's fictional ''

The Jungle ''The Jungle'' is a novel by American author and muckraking-journalist Upton Sinclair, known for his efforts to expose corruption in government and business in the early 20th century. In 1904, Sinclair spent seven weeks gathering information ...

'' published. **

Chicago Tunnel Company The Chicago Tunnel Company was the builder and operator of a narrow-gauge railway freight tunnel network under downtown Chicago, Illinois. This was regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission as an interurban even though it operated entire ...

operated a 2 ft. narrow-gauge railway freight tunnel network (until 1959). * 1907: ** Adolph Kroch opens a bookstore which will evolve into

Kroch's and Brentano's Kroch's and Brentano's was the largest Bookselling, bookstore in Chicago, and at one time it was the largest privately owned Chain store, bookstore chain in the United States. The store and the chain were formed in 1954 through the merger of the ...

** The

win their first World Series * 1908 ** The

win the World Series for the second year in a row ** Binga Bank in business. * 1909: Burnham's ''

Plan of Chicago The Burnham Plan is a popular name for the 1909 ''Plan of Chicago'' coauthored by Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett and published in 1909. It recommended an integrated series of projects including new and widened streets, parks, new railr ...

'' presented. * 1910: Population: 2,185,283. ** July 1:

Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was a ballpark in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-south side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Built by Wh ...

opened (originally called White Sox Park). ** December 22:

Chicago Union Stock Yards fire (1910) The Chicago Union Stock Yards fire occurred from December 22 to December 23, 1910, in Chicago, resulting in the deaths of twenty-one Chicago Fire Department firemen. Until the September 11 attacks, the fire was the deadliest building collapse ...

* 1911: Chicago and North Western Railway Terminal completed. * 1912: **

Harriet Monroe Harriet Monroe (December 23, 1860 – September 26, 1936) was an American editor, scholar, literary critic, poet, and patron of the arts. She was the founding publisher and long-time editor of ''Poetry'' magazine, which she established in 1912 ...

starts

Poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

, which will soon make Chicago a magnet for modern poets. * 1913 **

Great Lakes Storm of 1913 The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, historically referred to as the Big Blow, the Freshwater Fury and the White Hurricane, was a blizzard with hurricane-force winds that devastated the Great Lakes Basin in the Midwestern United States and Southwest ...

** Wabash Avenue

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

opens. * 1914: Alpha Suffrage Club active. ** April 23:

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...

opened (originally called Weeghman Park). * 1915 ** July 24, the ''

SS Eastland SS ''Eastland'' was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. On 24 July 1915, the ship capsized while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. In total, 844 passengers and crew were killed in what was the largest loss of life from a s ...

'' Disaste

** Chicago Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium founded. * 1916 ** Rebuilding of the American Fort **

Navy Pier Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side, Chicago, Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of shops, restaura ...

built. * 1917: The

win the MLB

. * 1918 ** Irving Park Cemetery was founded. ** Micheaux Film and Book Company in business. **The

Spanish flu The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. The earliest docum ...

killed over 8,500 people in Chicago between September and November 1918. * 1919 ** July 27, the Chicago race riot of 1919. ** Real estate broker Archibald Teller opened the first

Fannie May Fannie May Confection Brands, Inc. is an American chocolate manufacturer headquartered in Chicago and currently owned by multinational company Ferrero SpA. Fannie May manufactures a broad variety of products including enrobed, barks, caramels, s ...

candy store. * 1920: Population: 2,701,705. * 1921 **

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

won their first

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

Championship. ** Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre built, (later the Chicago Theatre). **

relocates to Chicago Park District. ** Street-widening and street-opening projects underway. **

Medill School of Journalism The Medill School of Journalism (branded as Northwestern Medill; formally the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications) is the journalism school of Northwestern University. It offers both undergraduate and graduat ...

opens. * 1922:

Chicago Council on Global Affairs The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is an American international affairs think tank located in Chicago, Illinois, with a stated mission of "increasing knowledge and engagement in global affairs and empowering more people to help shape our glob ...

established. *1924 **Murder trial and conviction of

Leopold and Loeb Nathan Freudenthal Leopold Jr. (November 19, 1904 – August 29, 1971) and Richard Albert Loeb (; June 11, 1905 – January 28, 1936), usually referred to collectively as Leopold and Loeb, were two American students at the University of Chicago ...

. ** October 9:

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...

opened. * 1925 **

Goodman Theatre Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the ...

established. **

Chicago railway station Chicago Union Station is an intercity and commuter rail terminal located in the West Loop neighborhood of the Near West Side of Chicago. Amtrak's flagship station in the Midwest, Union Station is the terminus of eight national long-distance ...

opened. ** The

Tribune Tower The Tribune Tower is a , 36-floor Gothic Revival architecture, neo-Gothic skyscraper located at 435 Magnificent Mile, North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The early 1920s international design competition for the tower bec ...

was completed on Michigan Avenue. The building's large

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

entrance contains pieces of stone from other famous buildings:

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral (, , officially , English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia belonging to the Catholic Church. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archd ...

, the

Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event and military engagement in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alam ...

, the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

, the

Great Pyramid The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Built , over a period of about 26 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wond ...

, and the

Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Plac ...

. * 1926 **

Nederlander Theatre The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhatt ...

opened. ** Granada Theatre opened. * 1927 ** Originally called the Chicago Municipal Airport,

Chicago Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport is a major commercial airport on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the city's Loop business district, and divided between the city's Clearing and ...

opened. It was renamed in 1949 to honor the

Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II, Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of t ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. ** July 28: 27 people, mostly women and children, were killed in the Favorite Boat Disaster. * 1929 ** February 14, the

St. Valentine's Day Massacre The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre was the murder of seven members and associates of Chicago's North Side Gang on Saint Valentine's Day 1929. The men were gathered at a Lincoln Park, Chicago garage on the morning of February 14, 1929. They were ...

. **

Oscar De Priest Oscar Stanton De Priest (March 9, 1871 – May 12, 1951) was an American politician and civil rights advocate from Chicago. A member of the Illinois Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois's 1st congressional district ...

becomes

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

for

Illinois's 1st congressional district Illinois's first congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago and continues southwest to Joliet, Illinois, ...

. ** Civic Opera Building &

Civic Opera House The Civic Opera House, also called Lyric Opera House is an opera house located at 20 North Wacker Drive in Chicago. The Civic's main performance space, named for Ardis Krainik, seats 3,276, making it the second-largest opera auditorium in North ...

opened. * 1930 ** March 6: 50,000 gather for

International Unemployment Day International Unemployment Day (March 6, 1930) was a coordinated international campaign of marches and Demonstration (people), demonstrations, marked by hundreds of thousands of people in major cities around the world taking to the streets to pro ...

, capping 10 days of protest against

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

conditions. ** May 12,

Adler Planetarium The Adler Planetarium is a public museum in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1930 by local businessman Max Adler (Sears), Max Adler. Located on the northeastern tip of Northerly Island on Lake Michigan ...

opened, through a gift from local merchant Max Adler. It was the first

planetarium A planetarium (: planetariums or planetaria) is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetariums is ...

in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the 180th meridian.- The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Geopolitically, ...

. ** April 6,

Twinkies The Twinkie is an American snack cake, described on its packaging as "golden sponge cake with a creamy filling". It was formerly made and distributed by Interstate Bakeries, Hostess Brands. The brand is currently owned by Hostess Brands, Hostess ...

are in Invented in Schiller Park. ** May 30,

Shedd Aquarium Shedd Aquarium (formally the John G. Shedd Aquarium) is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago. Opened on May 30, 1930, the aquarium holds about 32,000 animals. It is the third largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere (after the Georgia Aquariu ...

opens. ** The

Merchandise Mart The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building in Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it opened in 1930, it was the List of largest buildings, world's largest building, with of floor space. The Art De ...

was built for Marshall Field & Co. The $32 million, 4.2 million square foot (390,000 m²) building was the world's largest commercial building. It was sold it to

Joseph P. Kennedy Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. (September 6, 1888 – November 18, 1969) was an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, and politician. He is known for his own political prominence as well as that of his children and was the ambitious patri ...

in 1945. ** Population: 3,376,438. * 1932:

won their second

Championship. * 1933 **

won their third and back-to-back

Championship. **

Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), since 2024, the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, is a science museum located in Chicago, Illinois, in Jackson Park (Chicago), Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborho ...

opened. ** March 6: Mayor

Anton Cermak Anton Joseph Cermak (May 9, 1873 – March 6, 1933) was an American politician who served as the 44th Mayor of Chicago from April 7, 1931, until his death in 1933. He was killed by Giuseppe Zangara, whose likely target was President-elec ...

was killed while riding in a car with President-elect Roosevelt. The assassin was thought to have been aiming for Roosevelt. * 1933–34:

Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Exposit ...

World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...

. * 1934 ** May 19:

Chicago Union Stock Yards fire (1934) The Chicago Union Stock Yards fire of 1934 was the second-most destructive fire in the city's history, after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, in terms of property damage and buildings lost. The Union Stock Yards of Chicago, Illinois in the Unite ...

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...

won the

NHL Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ice ...

** July 1:

Brookfield Zoo Brookfield Zoo Chicago, known until 2024 as simply Brookfield Zoo, and also known as the Chicago Zoological Park, is a zoo located in Brookfield, Illinois. Brookfield Zoo is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and is managed ...

opened. ** July 22:

John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (; June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He commanded the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing twenty-four banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprison ...

was shot by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

in the alley next to the

Biograph Theater The Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, was originally a movie theater but now presents live productions. It gained early notoriety as the location where bank robber John Dillinger was lea ...

. * 1935 ** January 19: Coopers Inc. sells the world's first

briefs Briefs (or a brief) are a type of short, form-fitting Undergarment, underwear and swimsuit, swimwear, as opposed to styles where material extends down the thighs. Briefs have various different styles, usually with a waistband attached to fabric ...

. **

Jay Berwanger John Jacob "Jay" Berwanger (March 19, 1914 – June 26, 2002) was an American college football player and referee. In 1935, Berwanger was the first recipient of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy, renamed the Heisman Trophy the following year. A ...

of the

is awarded the very first

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

* 1937: Labor strike of steelworkers. * 1938 ** Community ''Factbook'' begins publication. **

won the

. * 1940: Population: 3,396,808. **

won their fourth

Championship. * 1941:

won their fifth and back-to-back

Championship. * 1943:

won their sixth

Championship. * 1944: Premiere of Williams' play ''

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his histrionic mo ...

''. * 1945: ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...

'' magazine begins publication. * 1946: ** Construction of Thatcher Homes begins. **

won their seventh

Championship. * 1948: '' Chicago Daily Sun and Times'' newspaper begins publication.

1950s–1990s

* 1950 **

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...

in business. ** Population: 3,620,962. This was the peak of Chicago's population, which has been declining ever since. * 1951 ** December 20: The Edens Expressway, Chicago's first expressway, opened. * 1953:

American Indian Center The American Indian Center (AIC) of Chicago is the oldest urban American Indian center in the United States. It provides social services, youth and senior programs, cultural learning, and meeting opportunities for Native American peoples. For m ...

, the oldest urban Native American center in the United States, opened. * 1954:

Johnson Products Company Johnson Products Company (JPC) is a privately held American business based in Chicago, Illinois. It is best known for manufacturing a line of hair care and cosmetic products for African American consumers under the names ''Afro Sheen'' and ''Ultr ...

in business. * 1955 ** April 15: The first

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

franchise restaurant, owned by

Ray Kroc Raymond Albert Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American businessman who was instrumental in turning McDonald's into the most successful global fast food corporation by revenue. He purchased it from the McDonald Brothers in ...

, opened in the suburb of

Des Plaines Des Plaines () is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 60,675. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is located just north of O'Hare International Airport. It is situated on and is named after t ...

. ** September 3-6: Thousands of people attended the visitation and funeral of

Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941 – August 28, 1955) was an African American youth, who was 14 years old when he was abducted and Lynching in the United States, lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman, ...

Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ is a Christian house of worship located in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The church was the site of Emmett Till's open-casket funeral in 1955. The church was designated as a Chicago La ...

in Bronzeville. ** December 15: The Eisenhower Expressway opened. * 1958 ** December 1,

Our Lady of the Angels School Fire On Monday, December 1, 1958, a fire broke out at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, shortly before classes were to be dismissed for the day. The fire originated in the basement near the foot of a stairway. The eleme ...

. ** The last

streetcar A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include s ...

ran in the city. At one time, Chicago had the largest streetcar system in the world. * 1959: Second City comedy troupe active. * 1960 ** February 29: The first of the

Playboy Club The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club ...

s, featuring bunnies, opened in Chicago. ** September 26: Nixon-Kennedy televised presidential

debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...

held. ** November 5: The

Kennedy Expressway The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a nearly freeway in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Portions of the freeway carry I-190, I-90 and I-94. The freeway runs in a southeast–northwest direction between the central city neighborhood of the ...

was completed. ** Population: 3,550,404. * 1961 ** December 12: The

Dan Ryan Expressway The Dan Ryan Expressway, often called "the Dan Ryan" by locals, is an expressway in Chicago that runs from the Jane Byrne Interchange with Interstate 290 (I-290) near downtown Chicago through the South Side of the city. It is designated ...

opened. **

won the

. * 1963: **

Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, businessman, and naval officer who served as United States Secretary of Defense, secretary of defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and again ...

became

for

Illinois's 13th congressional district The 13th congressional district of Illinois is currently represented by Democratic Party (United States), Democrat Nikki Budzinski. Recent election results from statewide races Composition Following the 2020 United States census, 2020 cens ...

. **

won their eighth

Championship. * 1964 ** October 24: The Stevenson Expressway opened. * 1965–66 – The

Chicago Freedom Movement The Chicago Freedom Movement, also known as the Chicago open housing movement, was led by Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel and Al Raby. It was supported by the Chicago-based Coordinating Council of Community Organizations (CCCO) and the Sou ...

, centering on the topic of open housing, paves the way for the

1968 Fair Housing Act The Civil Rights Act of 1968 () is a landmark law in the United States signed into law by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the King assassination riots. Titles II through VII comprise the Indian Civil Rights Act, which applie ...

. * 1966 ** July 13–14: Chicago student nurse massacre * 1967 ** January 26 – 27, Major snowstorm deposits 23 inches of snow, closing the city for several day

** August 1: maiden voyage of

UAC TurboTrain The UAC TurboTrain was an early high-speed, gas turbine train manufactured by United Aircraft that operated in Canada between 1968 and 1982 and in the United States between 1968 and 1976. It was one of the first gas turbine-powered trains to en ...

. * 1968: ** February 7: Mickelberry Sausage Company plant explosion kills nine and injured 70. ** August 26 – 29,

1968 Democratic National Convention The 1968 Democratic National Convention was held August 26–29 at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Earlier that year incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had announced he would not seek reelection, thus making ...

and its accompanying

anti-Vietnam War protests Protests against the Vietnam War took place in the 1960s and 1970s. The protests were part of a movement in opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War. The majority of the protests were in the United States, but some took place aro ...

. * 1969 ** October: Weathermen's antiwar demonstration. ** December 4: Black Panther

Fred Hampton Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr. (August 30, 1948 – December 4, 1969) was an American activist and revolutionary socialist. He came to prominence in his late teens and early 20s in Chicago as deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party and c ...

assassinated. ** The Chicago 8 trial opens. ** The 100-floor

John Hancock Center 875 North Michigan Avenue (officially known until 2018 as the John Hancock Center and still commonly referred to under that name) is a 100- story, supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the ...

was built. * 1970 ** ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois, for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featu ...

'' television program begins broadcasting. ** Casa Aztlán (organization) founded. ** Population: 3,366,957. * 1971: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center founded. * 1972:

Vietnam Veterans Against the War Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) is an American non-profit organization and corporation founded in 1967 to oppose the United States policy and participation in the Vietnam War. VVAW is a national veterans' organization that campaigns for ...

headquartered in Chicago. * 1973:

Sears Tower The Willis Tower, formerly and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110- story, skyscraper in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan ...

, the tallest building in the world for the next 25 years, was completed. * 1974:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry (American actor), Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Immaculate Conception grade school in Highland Park, Illinois and is now located in Chica ...

founded. * 1977:

Chicago Marathon The Chicago Marathon is a road marathon held in October in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the seven World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also a World Athletics Label Road Race. The Chicago Marathon is one of the largest races by number of fini ...

begins. * 1978: First BBS goes online on February 16. * 1979 ** Heavy snowstorm and city's slow response lead to upset of incumbent mayor. ** May 25, the

American Airlines Flight 191 American Airlines Flight 191 was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago to Los Angeles International Airport. On the afternoon of May 25, 1979, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operating th ...

crashes. ** Chicago's first female mayor, Jane M. Byrne, takes office. *
Woodstock Institute
headquartered in city. * 1980: Population: 3,005,072. * 1981: ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the Metropolitan Police Department staff ...

'' television show premieres on January 15. * 1982 ** September – October:

Chicago Tylenol murders The Chicago Tylenol murders were a series of poisoning deaths resulting from drug tampering in the Chicago metropolitan area in 1982. The victims consumed Tylenol-branded acetaminophen (paracetamol) capsules that had been laced with potassium ...

* 1983 **

Harold Washington Harold Lee Washington (April 15, 1922 – November 25, 1987) was an American lawyer and politician who was the 51st mayor of Chicago. In April 1983, Washington became the first African American to be elected as the city’s mayor at the age of ...

became the first African American mayor. ** Ordinance banning handguns takes effect. * 1984 ** The

reach the postseason for the first time since 1945 ** The Nike shoe

Air Jordan Air Jordan is a line of basketball and sportswear shoes produced by Nike, Inc. Related apparel and accessories are marketed under Jordan Brand. The first Air Jordan shoe was produced for basketball player Michael Jordan during his time with t ...

is made for superstar basketball player of the Chicago Bulls

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

. **

Heartland Institute The Heartland Institute is an American conservative and libertarian 501(c)(3) nonprofit public policy think tank known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking. Founded ...

headquartered in city. * 1986 ** Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions, Inc. in business. ** The

win

Super Bowl XX Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...

** Presidential Towers complex completed Max Headroom broadcast signal intrusion

* 1987 ** November 22,

Max Headroom signal hijacking The Max Headroom signal hijacking (also known as the Max Headroom incident) was a hijacking of the television signals of two stations in Chicago, Illinois, on November 22, 1987, that briefly sent a pirate broadcast of an unidentified person wea ...

* 1988 ** Lights are installed in

** February 7, The

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

hosts its 38th All-Star Game at the

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago from 1929 to 1995. When it was built, it was the largest indoor arena in the world with a maximum seating capacity of 26,000. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and ...

in Chicago. **

Christian Peacemaker Teams Community Peacemaker Teams or CPT (previously called Christian Peacemaker Teams) is an international organization set up to support teams of peace workers in conflict areas around the world. The organization uses these teams to achieve its aims ...

headquartered in city. * 1990: Population: 2,783,726. * 1991 ** May 28, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, ''

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

'' proudly revealed that it was working with ''

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

'' to create a version of the Super NES with an in-built CD drive. The two Japanese companies had been working together in secret on the project, tentatively titled the Nintendo PlayStation, since 1989 and with the hype about CD-ROM reaching fever pitch, Sony’s announcement should have been a highlight of the trade show. Eventually leads to betrayal of the company Nintendo to Sony into Leading to the beginning of ''

PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...

'' console. ** The

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

won their first

championship. * 1992 ** April 13, the

Chicago Flood The Chicago flood occurred on April 13, 1992, when repair work on a bridge spanning the Chicago River damaged the wall of an abandoned and disused utility tunnel beneath the river. The resulting breach flooded basements, facilities and the under ...

. ** The

won their second and back-to-back

championship. * 1993: The

won their third

championship to achieve a three-peat. * 1995 ** The Chicago Heat Wave of 1995. ** '' Your Radio Playhouse'' begins broadcasting. **

, once the largest privately owned bookstore chain in the US, closes. *1996 ** Chicago hosts the

1996 Democratic National Convention The 1996 Democratic National Convention was held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, from August 26 to August 29, 1996. President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were nominated for reelection. It was the first national convention o ...

, sparking protests such as the one whereby Civil Rights Movement historian

Randy Kryn Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolph, and Miranda, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of them. ''Randi'' is approximatel ...

and 10 others were arrested by the Federal Protective Service (United States), Federal Protective Service. ** City website online (approximate date). ** The

won their fourth

championship while finishing a season of 72-10 record. * 1997: The

won their fifth and second straight back-to-back

championship. * 1998 ** The

won their sixth

championship to achieve a second three-peat in eight years. ** October 25: The Chicago Fire FC, Chicago Fire won their first MLS cup.

21st century

2000s–Present

* 2000: Population: 2,895,671. * 2001: ** Chicago International Speedway is opened. ** Boeing moves its headquarters from Seattle to Chicago. * 2002: Lakeview Polar Bear Club founded (now known as the Chicago Polar Bear Club). * 2003 ** Meigs Field closed after having large X-shaped gouges dug into the runway surface by bulldozers in the middle of the night. ** Chicago Film Archives founded. ** February 17: E2 nightclub stampede ** June 29: 2003 Chicago balcony collapse * 2004: Millennium Park opens. * 2005 ** The

win their first

in 88 years. ** Regional Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning established. * 2006 ** May 1, the 2006 U.S. immigration reform protests draw over 400,000. ** ''Cloud Gate'' artwork installed in Millennium Park. * 2008: November 4, US President-elect Barack Obama makes his victory speech in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. A Lake Shore Limited train backing into Chicago Union Station

A Lake Shore Limited train backing into Chicago Union Station

* 2010 ** June 28: US supreme court case ''McDonald v. City of Chicago'' decided; overturns city handgun ban. **

win the Stanley Cup. ** City of Chicago Data Portal launche

** Population: 2,695,598. * 2011 ** February 2: 900 cars abandoned on Lake Shore Drive due to January 31 – February 2, 2011 North American blizzard, Blizzard. ** March 30: Last of Cabrini–Green Homes, Cabrini Green towers torn down. ** Rahm Emanuel becomes mayor. ** Population: 8,707,120; metro 17,504,753. * 2012 **38th G8 summit and 2012 Chicago Summit are to take place in Chicago. ** The first of an ongoing franchise of NBC Chicago-set dramas, ''Chicago Fire (TV series), Chicago Fire'', makes its world premiere on WMAQ-TV, WMAQ * 2013 **

win the Stanley Cup scoring 2 goals in 17 seconds to defeat the Boston Bruins ** Robin Kelly becomes

for Illinois's 2nd congressional district. * 2014 ** January: Early 2014 North American cold wave, Chiberia ** August: Archer Daniels Midland completes its headquarters move from Decatur, Illinois, Decatur to the Loop. ** November 2: Nik Wallenda, Wallenda performs high-wire stunt. * 2015 ** Bloomingdale Line, 606 linear park opens. ** FOX's ''Empire, Empire (TV Series)'' premieres on WFLD-32. **

win the Stanley Cup yet again for the third time in six years, establishing a "puck dynasty" nationwide and arguably becoming the best team in the NHL. **Video of the Murder of Laquan McDonald#Reactions, murder of Laquan McDonald is released by court order, and protests ensue. * 2016: ** February 2: Gage Park murders ** June 16:

announces it will move its headquarters from Oak Brook, Illinois, Oak Brook to the West Loop by 2018. ** Conagra Brands, ConAgra completes its headquarters move from Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha to the

. ** November 2:

2016 World Series#Game 7, win the world series. Navy Pier 1190x1585

* 2017 ** January 21: 2017 Women's March, Women's protest against U.S. president Trump. ** City approves public high school "post-graduation plan" graduation requirement (to be effected 2020). * 2018 ** January 7: ''The Chi, The Chi (TV Series)'' premieres on Showtime. ** Walgreens announces the move of its headquarters from Deerfield, Illinois, Deerfield, including 2,000 jobs, to the Old Chicago Main Post Office. * 2019: May 20: Lori Lightfoot becomes the first female African-American mayor of Chicago. * 2020 ** February 16: The

hosts its 69th All-Star game at the United Center in Chicago. ** March 16: First Chicago death due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Governor J. B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot issue a stay at home order. Over 7,700 people in Chicago died in the pandemic. ** May 28 – June 1: George Floyd protests in Chicago ** Population: 2,741,730. * 2021: The Chicago Sky won their first WNBA championship, defeating the Phoenix Mercury 3-1. * 2022 ** May – July: United States abortion protests (2022-present) ** Venezuelan refugee crisis * 2023 ** May 15: Brandon Johnson becomes mayor. * 2024 ** July 14–15: Severe weather sequence of July 13–16, 2024, Back-to-back tornado outbreaks produce 6 weak tornadoes in the city limits of Chicago, one of which was downtown near the Presidential Towers. ** August 19–22: The 2024 Democratic National Convention is held at the United Center. *2025 ** May 9: Chicago's archbishop is elected Pope as Pope Leo XIV, Leo XIV

References

External links

* * (Sortable by decade)
Timeline of Illinois
compiled in 1939 by the Federal Writers' Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Chicago History Chicago-related lists History of Chicago, Timelines of cities in the United States, Chicago Years in Illinois Illinois history-related lists, Chicago

Before the 19th century

19th century

1800s–1840s

1850s–1890s

20th century

1900s–1940s

1950s–1990s

21st century

2000s–Present

See also

References

Further reading

External links