1. President Abraham Lincoln arrived in Springfield, Illinois, on December 18, 1837, to begin his career as a lawyer. He would establish a successful practice before embarking on his political career and becoming the 16th President of the United States.

2. On December 18, 1892, the first game of basketball was played at the Armory of the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Illinois. The game was invented by Canadian James Naismith, who was a faculty member at the school.

3. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was founded on December 18, 1867, as the Illinois Industrial University. It was the second public land-grant university in the United States and has since become one of the top-ranked universities in the country.

4. The Great Lakes Naval Training Center was established on December 18, 1911, on the shores of Lake Michigan, north of Chicago. The facility has since become the United States Navy's only boot camp and is responsible for training all new recruits.

5. The first McDonald's restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, on December 18, 1955. The fast-food chain, which began as a small burger stand, has since grown into one of the largest and most recognizable brands in the world, with over 38,000 locations in 120 countries.