1. In 1699, French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and his crew arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River, marking the first time French explorers set foot on what is now Illinois territory.

2. In 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago officially closed after six months of drawing millions of visitors from around the world.

3. In 1994, the Chicago Bears beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago to advance to the NFC Championship Game.

4. In 1929, the city of Aurora, Illinois, suffered one of the worst fires in its history when a conflagration broke out in a downtown block of buildings.

5. In 2010, a massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on many parts of Illinois, causing widespread power outages and travel disruptions.