Historically, the greater Chicagoland area has always been a massive transportation hub. The Chicago Stockyards were one of the largest providers of meat throughout the country, and the invention of the refrigerated rail car allowed for further development of the region as a shipping titan. Even exceptional tragedies like the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 seemed unable to derail this economic powerhouse. For over 150 years, Chicago acted as the middle man between the coasts, ensuring that valuable goods made it to their desired locations.

Today, the region leads in logistics distribution. The massive CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Joliet focuses on moving international traffic to and from the West Coast. The center acts as an “inland port,” strategically located near major expressways and waterways.

Learn more:
Read more about the current rankings for shipping distribution logistics in the U.S.
See some amazing historical photographs documenting Chicago’s history as a transit hub

The Chicago Blackhawks, who are on the verge on winning their sixth Stanley Cup, last won the Cup at home in 1938 at the old Chicago Stadium against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Hawks’ win in 2013 against the Boston Bruins occurred during a Game 6 win at TD Garden Arena. Similarly, the Hawks’ win in 2010 against the Philadelphia Flyers occurred at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

The Blackhawks lead the current finals series against the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2, and a win tonight would give the Blackhawks their third Stanley Cup this decade.

Learn more:
Blackhawks can do something special for Chicago by winning at home – Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA Championship against the Los Angeles Lakers on this day in 1991. The win against the Lakers was the first of six for the 1990’s Bulls, which would go on to win Championships in 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

Michael Jordan, who made his debut with the Bulls in 1984, scored over 130 points in the five Championship games against the Lakers in 1991.

Learn more:
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan Stats

Though the Chicago Bulls didn’t make it to the championship, the state of Illinois is still well represented in the NBA Finals. Between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, three different players from their rosters were born in Illinois.

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, guard Iman Shumpert was born in Oak Park and attended Oak Park and River Forest High School.

For the Golden State Warriors, small forward Andre Iguodala was born in Springfield and attended Lanphier High School. He’s been in the NBA since he was drafted in 2004.

Shaun Livingston, a guard for the Warriors, was born in Peoria and attended Peoria Central High School. He was also drafted in the 2004 draft alongside Iguodala.   

Learn more:
Iman Shumpert Bio
Andre Iguodala Bio
Shaun Livingston Bio

Michael Crichton, best known for authoring “Jurassic Park” and creating the hit 1990s medical drama “ER,” was born in Chicago in 1942. He would go on to become one of the most successful authors of all time, selling over 200 million copies of his books, thirteen of which were made into films.

Crichton was highly educated, earning his Bachelor’s and MD from Harvard University. He released his first novel, “The Andromeda Strain,” while still in medical school under the pseudonym John Lange.

Crichton received several awards throughout his lifetime, earning the Writer’s Guild of America Award for “ER” in 1995 and an Emmy for “ER” in 1996.

Learn more:
Michael Crichton – IMDb Profile
Michael Crichton – The Official Site