1. The Illinois state fair is traditionally held in August and has been a popular summertime event since its inception in 1853.

2. On August 15, 1929, Chicago gained international notoriety when Al Capone's South Side gang executed seven members of a rival gang in what would become known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

3. In 1977, the Illinois State Police instituted a new policy requiring troopers to use their sirens when pulling over motorists. The policy was implemented in response to concerns about the safety of drivers who were unaware that they were being stopped.

4. On August 15, 1914, the Illinois State Board of Health recommended that all Illinois residents boil their drinking water due to concerns about contamination.

5. In 1990, the Illinois Tollway began a campaign to provide seat belts in all of its toll booths. The initiative was in response to a deadly accident in which a toll booth worker was killed by a vehicle that crashed into her booth.