The History Fun Facts of Chicago Countdown: 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
#10 - Sky Walker
First Skyscraper - Home Insurance Company, Built in 1885
#9 - Book Worms!
When it opened in 1991, the Harold Washington Library Center, with approximately 6.5 million books, was the world's largest municipal library.
#8 - Let's Go Cubbies!
Wrigley Field is the second oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball.
#7 - Nosey Neighbors...
77 community areas containing more than 100 neighborhoods
#6 - Love, Peace, & Hull House
Jane Addams - First American Woman to Win Nobel Peace Prize
Chicago's own Jane Addams, founder of the Hull House, was the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.
The Hull House opened in 1889 to aid Chicago immigrants.
#5 - Where Dreams Come True :)
Walt Disney was born in Chicago in 1901.
He studied drawing at Chicago's McKinley High School and the Institute of Fine Arts.
#4 - Great Things Come in Small Packages
The Twinkie was invented during the Depression by Chicagoan Jimmy Dewar.
The dessert was dubbed "Twinkie" after Dewar spotted an ad for Twinkle Toe Shoes.
Originally filled with banana cream, but as they became scarce during WWII, vanilla cream was substituted.
#3 - This is Why Traffic is So Bad... Everyone is Lost...
Over 52 million people visit Chicago annually
#2 - Ain't No River Wide Enough
In 1900, Chicago successfully completed a massive and highly innovative engineering project — reversing the flow of the Chicago River so that it emptied into the Mississippi River instead of Lake Michigan.
Each year, the Chicago River is dyed green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
#1- Chicago's 1st Perment Settler was Jean Baptiste Point DuSable
An African-American from what is now Haiti, in 1779. He was born to a French mariner and a mother who was a slave of African descent.
In du Sable's home, which he shared with his Indian wife, the first marriage in Chicago was performed.
According to original manuscripts documenting the sale of DuSables property, the cabin was spacious, boasting a roomy salon with five rooms off each corner. The property featured a large stone fireplace, bake and smoke houses, stables and huts for employees, along with a fenced garden and orchard. Household furnishings included paintings, mirrors, and walnut furniture.
At his trading post, DuSable served Native Americans, British, and French explorers.
He spoke Spanish, French, English, and several Native American dialects, which served him well as an entrepreneur and mediator.