This Week in Illinois History

On June 16, 1979, Rich Koz made his TV debut on WFLD in Chicago as horror host "Son of Svengoolie." 

This week's slice of history is a uniquely American invention: processed cheese. 

Seventy-eight years ago, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League had its first day of league play. The women's league was founded, in part, because many Major League Baseball players were serving in World War II. Baseball executives had to find a new way to maintain r ...  Show more

On May 23, 1900, the world's first portable Ferris wheel, known as "Big Eli," made its debut. Its inventor, William Sullivan, launched an amusement ride business that still thrives today. 

On May 17, 1955, the Illinois General Assembly approved the official state slogan: "Land of Lincoln." Before that, Illinois was known as the Prairie State. But Illinois also had an older, unofficial slogan that dates back to the state’s earliest days: the Sucker State.