Happy 175th Birthday, Chicago!

Today the great City of Chicago celebrated its 175^th birthday. The Chicago History Museum and the DuSable Museum honored this day with actors dressed as famous Chicagoans.

So what has happened in the past 175 years? Here are a few highlights that come to mind:

1866            Cook County Hospital Opens 

                     Tunnels are built to draw “pure water” from the lake.

1868            Lincoln Park Zoo welcomes a pair of swans.

1869            The Chicago Water Tower was built.

1870            St. Ignatius University opens its doors. Today it is known as Loyola University.

1871            The Great Chicago Fire

1876            A baseball team wins the National League title. 

                     That team will be eventually named The Chicago Cubs.

1878            A Chicago firehouse invented the first fire pole.

1882            The cable cars begin operation.

1893            The Columbian Exposition

1958            Our Lady of Angels Grade School Fire

1967            Chicago is hit with a blizzard that dumped 23 inches of snow on Chicago.

1968            Chicago Democratic Convention

1976            Mayor Richard J. Daley died.

1979            American Airlines Flight 191 crashes at O’Hare.

1981            Jane Byrne is elected mayor.

1983            Harold Washington is Chicago’s first black mayor.

1986            Chicago Bears win Super Bowl XX.

2005            White Sox win the World Series.

2010            Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup!