1. In 1917, the Red Cross hosted a fundraising drive in downtown Champaign and collected over $23,000 to support the war effort during World War I.

2. On August 28, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was abducted, tortured, and murdered in Money, Mississippi. His death sparked a national conversation about racism and civil rights, and is widely considered a catalyst for the American Civil Rights Movement.

3. The University of Illinois at Chicago is a public research university located in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded on August 28, 1965, through the consolidation of two existing institutions: the University of Illinois Chicago Circle and the Chicago Professional Colleges of the University of Illinois.

4. In 2008, the United Center in Chicago hosted the Democratic National Convention, where Barack Obama officially accepted the nomination for President of the United States.

5. The Illinois State Fair is an annual event held in Springfield, Illinois, that celebrates Illinois agriculture and industry. The fair runs for 11 days in August, and includes livestock shows, art exhibits, carnival rides, and live music performances.