1. In 1854, Abraham Lincoln delivered a passionate speech at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield denouncing the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed newly formed territories to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery. This speech is widely regarded as one of Lincoln's most significant contributions to the anti-slavery movement.

2. In 1901, the first ever Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Wilhelm Röntgen, a German physicist who discovered X-rays. Röntgen had spent several years working as a professor of physics at the University of Chicago, and his discovery revolutionized the field of medical imaging.

3. In 1923, Chicago's Union Stock Yards, one of the largest livestock markets in the world, was hit by a devastating fire that destroyed several of its buildings and caused millions of dollars in damage. The fire was so intense that it took nearly a week to completely extinguish.

4. In 1978, the Chicago Cubs won their first National League pennant in 45 years, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. Though they would eventually lose the World Series to the New York Yankees, the Cubs' run to the playoffs was a milestone for the long-suffering team and its devoted fans.

5. In 1995, the deadliest train accident in Illinois history occurred when a commuter train collided with a school bus in Fox River Grove, killing seven high school students and injuring dozens more. The tragedy led to significant changes in the way trains and buses interact at grade crossings, in an effort to prevent similar accidents in the future.