1. The first McDonald's restaurant in Illinois was opened on May 14, 1955, in Des Plaines. This location was later demolished in 1984 and replaced with a museum commemorating the fast food chain's history.

2. On May 14, 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark departed from Camp Dubois, near present-day Wood River, Illinois, to begin their famous expedition to explore and map the newly acquired Louisiana Territory.

3. The Illinois Central Railroad was chartered on May 14, 1851, leading to the growth of Chicago as a major transportation hub and helping to transform the state's economy.

4. May 14, 1942, marked the beginning of the Battle of the Coral Sea, a crucial naval conflict in the Pacific Theater of World War II that helped to halt Japan's advance toward Australia.

5. Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks hit his 500th career home run on May 14, 1970, becoming only the ninth player in Major League Baseball history to reach that milestone.