1. In 1944, the infamous Port Chicago disaster occurred in California, which ultimately prompted the desegregation of the US military. However, many of the African American sailors involved in the disaster were sent to a naval facility in Illinois immediately after the incident, where they were subjected to racial discrimination and segregation.

2. On July 17, 1955, former Illinois governor Adlai E. Stevenson II was named as the Democratic Party's candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Stevenson had previously served two terms as governor of Illinois and was known for his progressive platform, including his support for civil rights and opposition to the Vietnam War.

3. In 1961, the city of Chicago experienced a heat wave that lasted for nearly a week, with temperatures soaring above 90 degrees every day. The heat contributed to the deaths of more than 700 people, many of them elderly or living in poverty.

4. On July 17, 1989, the Chicago Cubs played their first night game at Wrigley Field, ending 74 years of playing exclusively in the daytime. The game was delayed twice due to technical difficulties with the stadium's new lights, but eventually went ahead and ended in a victory for the Cubs over the Philadelphia Phillies.

5. In 2014, the city of Peoria, Illinois made headlines when a man named Jon Daniel stole a $90,000 piece of artwork from the Peoria Riverfront Museum. The stolen piece, a bronze sculpture by artist Preston Jackson, was eventually recovered and returned to the museum, but Daniel was sentenced to four years in prison for the theft.