1. The first Illinois State Legislature convened on January 2, 1819, in Kaskaskia, the state’s first capital. Members of the legislature worked to draft a state constitution and pass laws to establish Illinois as a state.

2. On January 2, 1947, Illinois Governor Dwight H. Green signed a law that banned gambling machines and slot machines in the state. The law was part of a crackdown on illegal gambling that had been prevalent in some areas of the state.

3. The first woman elected to the Illinois State Senate, Margaret Smith, was sworn in on January 2, 1933. Smith represented Chicago and served in the Senate until 1973.

4. On January 2, 1999, Chicago police officer Michael Ceriale was posthumously awarded the Carter Harrison Medal for bravery. Ceriale was killed in the line of duty in August 1998 while investigating gang-related activity.

5. In January 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker was sworn into office. Pritzker, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Republican Governor Bruce Rauner in the November 2018 election.