Robert Pershing Wadlow was born in Alton, Illinois on February 22, 1918. Wadlow would enter the history books as the “Alton Giant” or World’s Tallest Man.

Standing at 8 feet, 11inches, Wadlow is the world’s tallest man confirmed by Guinness World Records. At 13, Wadlow would be one of the tallest boy scouts at the height of 7 foot 4 inches. At 18, he weighed nearly four hundred pounds and was wearing a size 37 shoe that cost one hundred dollars per pair.

The International Shoe Company would provide Wadlow free shoes as long as he and his dad would travel the country as marketers for the company.

The entire town shut down to attend his funeral with nearly 40,000 signatures in the guest book. He earned the nickname “Gentle Giant” for his demeanor with everyone in the town of Alton, Illinois.

Learn more about Wadlow:
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/tallest-man-ever

Lorraine Hansberry was a trailblazing playwright, author and activist who used her personal experiences of segregation in Chicago to create the revolutionary play, “A Raisin in the Sun.”

Born in Chicago on May 19, 1930, Hansberry and her family faced pressure from growing racial tensions which triggered the Hansberry v. Lee Supreme Court decision, ruling restrictive covenants illegal.

As a young woman, Hansberry persevered and attended the New School for Social Research in New York, where she studied and worked as an editor of a progressive newspaper, Freedom. Her dedication to providing a voice for the voiceless shined through as she wrote about feminism and homophobia in America.

Hansberry used a line from a Langston Hughes poem and the story of a struggling African-American family to create the groundbreaking play “A Raisin in the Sun.”

The landmark 1959 theatrical production made her the first black woman to see her play performed on Broadway. Hansberry became the youngest American and first African-American playwright to win a New York Critics’ Circle award and a 1961 film adaptation starring Sydney Poitier.  

Off Broadway, Hansberry became active in the civil rights movement alongside her friend, Nina Simone. “A Raisin in the Sun” has been adapted numerous times over the years and remains a landmark of American literature and theatre.

Whether you are a seasoned wine connoisseur or have just discovered your favorite variety, today is your day. Wine drinkers across the country are celebrating National Drink Wine Day, a day to enjoy a glass of your favorite Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec. 

Looking to visit an Illinois winery in the Spring? Illinois is home to approximately 100 wineries, from Galena Cellars in Northwestern Illinois to Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda. 

Read more:
Raise your glass! It’s National Drink Wine Day (USA Today)

Maurice White, founder and former leader of Earth, Wind & Fire, traveled to Chicago in the 1960s to study at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. While working under the legendary Chess Records label, he had the opportunity to play with Etta James, Fontella Bass and Ramsey Lewis.

White joined the Ramsey Lewis Trio and traveled the country, returning to Chicago after three years and forming the Salty Peppers group with friends Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead. The group composed several songs, including “La La Time,” and starred in commercials that aired in Chicagoland.

White, Flemons and Whitehead relocated to California after a few years and changed the name of their group to Earth, Wind & Fire.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Learn more:
Read more about the life and accomplishments of Maurice White and Earth, Wind & Fire
Watch Stevie Wonder’s Emotional Maurice White Tribute at Grammys (Rolling Stone)

Abraham Lincoln, one of the most recognizable Presidents in U.S. history, migrated to Illinois with his family in his early twenties, living several places before settling in New Salem. Lincoln was elected to the Illinois state legislature in 1834 and moved to Springfield a short time later to begin practicing law.

Ulysses S. Grant, America’s 18^th President, served after President Johnson during Reconstruction after the Civil War. A well-known Union Army hero, Grant was living in Galena when the war broke out, leaving to command the Union army.

Ronald Reagan was the only president born in Illinois. Reagan was raised in Dixon and attended Eureka College before leaving Illinois. Reagan spent most of his adult life in California, however, and considered that state home.

President Obama moved to Chicago in his mid-twenties, working as a community organizer on the South Side before entering law school in 1988. Obama taught law at the University of Chicago and was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996. The rest, as they say, is history.

Learn more:

Abraham Lincoln’s Biography

http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540#law-career

Ulysses S. Grant Biography

http://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/ulyssessgrant

Ronald Reagan Biography

http://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/ronaldreagan

President Obama

http://www.biography.com/people/barack-obama-12782369#law-career