1. In 1973, the first woman ever to be elected to Congress from Illinois, Cardiss Collins, was sworn into office. Collins served in the House of Representatives for 24 years and was a vocal advocate for women's rights and civil rights.

2. On January 7, 1907, the famous inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla gave a lecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on his alternating current electrical power system. Tesla's work on AC power played a major role in the development of modern electrical infrastructure.

3. In 1985, the Illinois State Board of Education approved a new requirement for high school students to pass a standardized test in order to graduate. The test, called the Illinois Goal Assessment Program, was controversial and sparked debate over the role of standardized testing in education.

4. On January 7, 1999, a fire broke out in a high-rise apartment building in Chicago, killing six people and injuring several others. The tragedy led to calls for improved safety standards for high-rise buildings in the city.

5. In 2019, Democratic Representative Kenneth Dunkin became the first African American to serve as House Minority Leader in the Illinois General Assembly. Dunkin had previously been a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for over a decade and was known for his work on criminal justice reform and education issues.