With the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan scheduled to start in just under two months, all eyes are on Team USA as America anticipates a strong performance bringing home many medals. Though the team rosters won’t be finalized until early 2026, the past several Winter Games have seen plenty of Illinois natives win big. Among them are hockey forward Abbey Murphy, ski jumper Kevin Bickner, and figure skater Alexa Knierim — each of them a story of extreme dedication, determination, and intense passion for the sports they love.

On Dec. 4, 1969, at the age of 21, Fred Hampton was assassinated by a unit of Cook County State’s Attorney’s office in coordination with CPD and the FBI. But who was Fred Hampton, and why was he assassinated?

Born Fredrick Allen Hampton, Hampton’s ties to Illinois start from birth in present day Summit, Illinois. At the age of 10, Hampton was already participating in community activism, hosting breakfasts for local children that he cooked himself. In high school Hampton led walkouts to protest exclusion of Black students from the homecoming queen race and calling on the school to hire more Black teachers and administrators. Hampton would eventually join the NAACP as a youth organizer and grew the youth group to 500 members in the Village of Maywood. In Maywood, Hampton worked to improve recreational facilities and improve educational resources for the impoverished Black community.

Miles Davis was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer. He is one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz and 20^th-century music and was born right here in Illinois.

Miles Dewey Davis III was born May 26, 1926 in Alton and was raised in East. St. Louis.

Davis started out on the trumpet when he was 12, inspired by St. Louis’ creative atmosphere.

In 1944, Davis went to New York to study at Julliard, where he started performing with some of the most well-known jazz musicians of all time.

In 1957, Davis had his first major release, called Birth of the Cool. This led him to international recognition. He recorded and toured with his newly formed quintet, and then released Kind of Blue in 1959, which is one of the most successful jazz albums in history.

Throughout the 60s and 70s, Davis released almost 20 albums, blending and transcending musical genres.

Davis took a hiatus from recording and performing from 1975 to 1981. After his hiatus, he created two major albums, Tutu and Aura.

Throughout his career, Davis won eight Grammy Awards, and received 32 nominations.

Miles Davis’ legacy has certainly had an impact on Illinois, and his music is still appreciated by many today.

“Gilmore Girls,” a very popular comedy-drama television show, premiered 23 years ago, on Oct. 5, 2000.

But, did you know that Melissa McCarthy, who plays Sookie St. James in the show, is from Plainfield, Illinois?

McCarthy was born on Aug. 26, 1970, in Plainfield. She was raised on a corn and soybean farm in a large Catholic family. She graduated from St. Francis Academy, now Joliet Catholic Academy. She also attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

McCarthy began her performing career as a stand-up comedian in New York City. She worked on her acting skills at the Actors Studio, and appeared in stage productions. Later, McCarthy moved to Los Angeles. But McCarthy’s big break came when she was cast as Sookie St. James, Lorelai Gilmore’s best friend in the show “Gilmore Girls.”

McCarthy’s success on “Gilmore Girls” may be her claim to fame, but her most notable role is the character Megan in the 2011 film “Bridesmaids.”

McCarthy has received several nominations and awards for her roles in the CBS sitcom “Mike & Molly” and “Bridesmaids.”