1. In 1876, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Illinois (now known as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) opened its doors to students for the first time. The school was established by the Illinois Industrial University Act and was the first public institution of higher education in the state.

2. On October 5, 1908, the first airplane flight in Illinois took place in Springfield. The Wright Brothers' pilot, Orville Wright, flew a demonstration flight for the Illinois State Fair.

3. In 1961, the Chicago Freedom Movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr., held a rally in Chicago to protest discrimination and segregation in housing. The event drew over 35,000 people and helped to bring attention to issues of racial inequality in the city.

4. On October 5, 1988, the Chicago Cubs clinched the National League East division title, earning their first postseason appearance since 1945. The Cubs ultimately fell to the San Francisco Giants in the National League Championship Series.

5. In 2011, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill legalizing same-sex civil unions in the state. The law went into effect on June 1, 2011, making Illinois the sixth state to recognize same-sex unions.