Mavis Staples is a famous rhythm and blues, soul and gospel singer. She is best known for her work with the Staples Singers. She started her career singing at local churches and on weekly radio shows with her family group. After high school, she and the Staple Singers took their show on the road.

During the mid-1960s, the Staples Singers became influenced by their father’s close relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr. In turn, they channeled their music to reflect their spiritual beliefs and the Civil Rights Movement. In the ‘70s, the Staple Singers hit it big. They hit the “Top 40” 8 times, and had two No.1 hit singles – “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again.”

Mavis Staples is a “staple” of soul and gospel music and was noted for her work in 2011 when she won her first Grammy.

Learn more:
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples biography

Clyde Tombaugh was born in Streator in 1906. His interest in astronomy developed from looking through his uncle’s telescope as a child. Unsatisfied with store-bought telescopes, Tombaugh began building his own telescopes, one of which helped him accurately describe Jupiter and Mars.

Tombaugh earned a job at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona where he was tasked with photographing the night sky over several months and examining the photographs to try and find an unidentified moving point of light. After ten months of detailed research, Tombaugh discovered the planet on February 18, 1930 and named it Pluto. It was determined that Pluto was the ninth planet in our solar system and was classified so until 2006 when the plant was re-classified as a dwarf planet. In addition to discovering Pluto, Tombaugh also discovered 15 different asteroids and named them after himself, his wife, his children and grandchildren.

While Tombaugh passed away in 1997, his ashes joined NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft in 2006. The spacecraft is currently scheduled to pass Pluto at its closest point early next week before leaving the solar system.

Learn more:
Pluto’s discoverer’s ashes will be the first human remains to leave the solar system – glued to the side of a space probe: Business Insider
NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was born in Evanston on July 9, 1932. He attended Princeton University on an academic and NROTC scholarship and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator and flight instructor.

Rumsfeld made his mark in politics after he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois’ 13th District in 1962 at the age of 30. Following his eight-year stint in Congress, Rumsfeld served numerous roles in President Richard Nixon’s administration, including the Director of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity and as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of Defense by President Ford in 1975.

In 1977, Rumsfeld left the political field to step in as the CEO of G.D. Searle & Company, a pharmaceutical company based in Skokie. His return to government work came after President George W. Bush named him the Secretary of Defense upon taking office.

Rumsfeld retired as Defense Secretary in December of 2006 at the age of 74.

Learn more:
Read Donald Rumsfeld’s Department of Defense biography here

The Taste of Chicago, held in Chicago’s Grant Park since 1980, is the world’s largest food festival.

This free, family-friendly event includes a diverse array of food offerings from more than 40 restaurants and 15 food trucks. Cooking demonstrations and a host of concerts, from Weezer to Erykah Badu to Spoon, round out the five day event.

In Chicago and looking for something to do? The Taste of Chicago opens today and runs from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. today, Thursday and Friday and from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Learn more:
Heading to the Taste of Chicago this weekend? Click here for everything you need to know
No ticket left behind: Get more for your money at Taste of Chicago – Chicago Tribune

Illinois’ state parks offer more than 700 miles of hiking trails, from Chain O’Lakes State Park near the Wisconsin border to Dixon Springs State Park in deep Southern Illinois. Many of the trails connect to camping areas, lookout spots and other outdoor activities.

Bird enthusiasts should check out Matthiessen State Park in Utica, home to more than 200 species of birds and more than 100 types of woodland flowers. Looking for a good workout? Starved Rock State Park, also in Utica, has more than 15 miles of moderate to difficult trails along the beautiful Illinois River.

Looking for something closer to home? Local communities throughout the state have developed extensive networks of walking, running and biking trails, many of which are located on converted railroad lines.

Learn more:
Click here for a listing of hiking, mountain biking and running trails in Illinois
TrailLink – Offering a list of walking trails in Illinois
Trails located in the Metro-East Park and Recreation District
Trails located in Cook County Forest Preserves