Table of Contents
Chicago
The Illinois tribe
As late as the second half of the 18th century, the area around the city was entirely inhabited by Native Americans, most of the Illinois tribe. 1)
Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
The first non-Native American settler to arrive in the area was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Du Sable was a black merchant and trapper who came from Haiti to the Chicago area between 1770 and 1780. 2)
The yellow cabs
It was the first time in history that yellow cabs took to the streets in Chicago. Only later did other American cities adopt this color for this type of transportation. 3)
Many beaches
The city has a 26-mile stretch of Lake Michigan waterfront with close to 25 beaches. 4)
Nicknames
Chicago has several nicknames: Second City, Chitown, and The Big Onion. In recent years, new ones have also appeared: Chiberia (referring to the harsh winter) and Chiraq (referring to the high crime rate). 5)
Third largest city
Chicago is the third largest city in the United States after New York and Los Angeles. 6)
Blood bank
Chicago became the first city to build a blood bank in 1937. 7)
Reversing the flow of the river
In 1900, Chicago successfully completed a massive and highly innovative engineering project - reversing the flow of the Chicago River so that it empties into the Mississippi River instead of Lake Michigan. The river is the only river in the world that flows backward. 8)
Ban of the pay toilets
In 1973, Chicago banned the use of pay toilets. 9)
Home Insurance Building
The world's first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Company, was built in 1885. 10)
"City Beautification" movement
The Columbian Exposition grounds in 1893 were so attractive and popular that they sparked the so-called “City Beautification” movement, which emphasizes parks, boulevards, and other green spaces in American urban planning. 11)
Sears Modern Houses
In 1908, the Chicago Sears Company offered home sets called “Sears Modern Houses”. 12)
T-Rex named Sue
The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago owns the world's most complete T-Rex dinosaur, named Sue. 13)
Postal Shutdown
In 1966, the Chicago post office had to close due to massive mail volume, causing a delay in the delivery of over 10 million letters and other mail. This closure was a major factor in the eventual creation of the United States Postal Service in 1971. 14)
First African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize
Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1949. 15)
City of hot-dogs
There are over 1,800 hot dog stands in the city of Chicago, more than the number of Burger Kings, McDonald's, and Wendy's restaurants in the city combined. 16)