1. On December 31, 1847, the Chicago and Galena Union Railroad officially opened. This railroad connected Chicago to the Mississippi River and played a crucial role in the development of Chicago as a major transportation hub.

2. On December 31, 1853, the Illinois Institute for the Blind was established in Jacksonville. This was the first state-supported school for the blind in the United States.

3. On December 31, 1885, the iconic "Home Insurance Building" in Chicago was completed. This was the first skyscraper in the world, standing at 10 stories tall.

4. On December 31, 1908, the first Ball Drop was held in New York City's Times Square. The idea caught on and in 1963, the city of East Moline, Illinois began a similar tradition, raising a ball to the top of the Texaco Oil building and dropping it at midnight.

5. On December 31, 1963, the Illinois Board of Election Commissioners certified the results of the November 5, 1963, gubernatorial election, declaring the Republican candidate, Charles H. Percy, the winner. Percy would go on to serve as Governor of Illinois from 1967 to 1973.