Chicago’s impressive skyline has garnered much attention ever since the iconic Home Insurance Building was constructed in 1885, becoming widely recognized as the world’s first skyscraper. Today, Chicago ranks second in North America behind only New York City in the number of skyscrapers, defined as any building that reaches 150 meters.

A recent study of residential high-rises also ranks Chicago at the top. Chicago is home to seven of the United States’ 12 tallest residential buildings – more than any other U.S. city. Several high-profile Chicago buildings, including the Trump Tower, John Hancock Center and the 900 North Michigan building were rated high on the list.

A recent building boom in and around the Loop will only increase these impressive numbers in the future.

Learn more:
How Chicago invented the skyscraper
Live, Up in the Sky! (Chicago Magazine)

Not only is Illinois ranked third in net electricity generation in the United States, but it is also a leader in the Midwest for crude oil refining capacity.

Illinois’ central location and energy-generating infrastructure makes us a vital hub for crude oil and natural gas moving throughout North America, with over a dozen interstate natural gas pipelines, two natural gas market centers, several petroleum and petroleum product pipelines and an oil port.

In 2013, Illinois ranked first in the nation in generating capacity and net electricity generation from nuclear power. The power generated from Illinois alone accounted for over 12 percent of the nation’s nuclear power.

Learn more:
U.S. Energy Information Administration
U.S. Department of Energy

Actor Gary Sinise was born 60 years ago this week in Blue Island.

When Sinise was just 18, he co-founded Chicago’s praised Steppenwolf Theater Company. The company continues to host outstanding plays and events to this day.

In 1992, Sinise directed, produced and starred in a remake of “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. Two years later his career hit full throttle when he played Lieutenant Dan in the film “Forest Gump.”  In 1995 he starred in the movie “Apollo 13” and also starred in the television biopic “Truman,” for which he won a Golden Globe.

After acting on the big screen for a number of years, Sinise decided to return to the small screen, and in 2004 he starred in the crime series “CSI: New York.” Sinise is currently married and has 3 children.

Learn more:
Gary Sinise’s IMDb profile

Born in Texas in 1924, Willie T. Barrow exhibited her activist spirit at a very young age. At just 12 years old, she stood up to the unequal treatment she and other African-American students received. They were unable to ride the school bus with fellow white students.

Barrow found her true calling after moving to Chicago with her husband Clyde. She helped found Operation Breadbasket, an idea civil rights leaders in the South were using at the time to boycott discriminatory white-owned businesses and draw attention to the economic power held by African-Americans. She traveled with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to demonstrate in Selma, Alabama and is credited with helping bring Dr. King to Chicago. 

Barrow would go on to become the Executive Director of Operation PUSH, an organization dedicated to serving the poor and most vulnerable in Chicago.

Barrow was a trailblazer who not only led the fight for civil rights for African-Americans but also was an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and gay rights. She brought attention to the AIDS crisis at a time most public figures tried to shy away from the topic.

Known as the “Little Warrior” for her short stature but effective and outspoken tactics, Barrow is remembered by many for spending her life fighting for justice for all.

Learn more:  
President Obama on the passing of Reverend Willie T. Barrow
Willie T. Barrow – National Visionary Leadership Project
Chicago Tribune on Rev. Willie T. Barrow

Nobody celebrates St. Patrick’s Day like Chicago, hosting one of the largest celebrations in the nation. Chicago hosts numerous events all over the city both on St. Patrick’s Day and on the weekend before the official holiday.

One of the most well-known St. Patrick’s Day traditions in Chicago is the annual dyeing of the Chicago River. Since 1962, the city has used an environmentally friendly powder to make the river “Irish green.” The Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade follows soon after, drawing thousands of spectators downtown.

On Sunday before the holiday, the festivities move to the South Side, with the Irish Parade held on Western Avenue near traditionally Irish neighborhoods. Mount Greenwood, a South Side Chicago neighborhood, was recently listed as one of America’s top Irish neighborhoods, with over 40 percent of residents claiming Irish ancestry.

Warm weather brought an estimated 200,000 people to the South Side on Sunday this year to watch over 100 floats, bands, school groups and organizations taking part in the parade. 

Learn more:
Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Chicago aims to be world’s greenest city on St. Patrick’s weekend (Chicago Tribune)