In honor of National Popcorn Day, today we highlight Mason County, Illinois. Mason County fields include nearly 20,000 acres of land dedicated towards producing popcorn, more than any other county nationwide.

Located in Central Illinois between Peoria and Springfield, Mason County is located in what many call the “Imperial Valley of the Midwest.” In contrast to other farming areas around the state, Mason County fields include a large amount of sand in their soil. With modern irrigation technology, the fields have become plentiful for crops not commonly found in Illinois, including popcorn.

Learn more:
Happy National Popcorn Day: Fun Facts About the Popular Snack
Nation’s top popcorn-producing county in Illinois (AgriNews)

“Sunday, Monday, Happy Days. Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days. Thursday, Friday, Happy Days. Saturday, what a day. Groovin’ all week with you!” Anyone who heard that song in the 1970s knew what show was coming on and most likely adored the loveable father Howard Cunningham, played by Tom Bosley.

Bosley was born in Chicago on October 1, 1927.  He grew up in a relatively well-off family and had dreams of becoming a lawyer. When he was 17, he joined the U.S. Navy, later enrolling at DePaul University to study pre-law.

Bosley made his stage debut in Thieves Highway in 1955. His hard work led him to a lead role in 1959 in the Broadway musical Fiorello! He earned a Tony Award for his performance which helped him increase his name recognition and land many film and television roles in the following years.

Bosley’s most memorable role was as Howard Cunningham in the television show Happy Days, which ran from 1974 until 1983. After the show ended, he starred in the weekly series The Father Dowling Mysteries and made appearances on Murder, She Wrote.

Learn more:
Read more about the life and accomplishments of Tom Bosley

John Roderigo Dos Passos was born in Chicago on this day in 1896. His father was a wealthy lawyer of Portuguese descent and his mother was from Virginia. Passos attended Harvard University, graduating in 1916.

During World War I, Passos volunteered as an ambulance driver in Europe. It was his experiences during the war that led him to publish Three Soldiers in 1921, an antiwar novel that was one of his first literary works.

Passos published the U.S.A. trilogy in the 1930s, which consisted of The 42nd Parallel, 1919 and The Big Money. The trilogy tells the story of historical events in America during the early 1900s. The Modern Library, a publishing company located in New York City, ranked the trilogy set 23rd on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

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Read more about the writings and accomplishments of John Dos Passos

Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls on this day in 1999 after playing for the team from 1984 until 1993 and again from 1995 until 1998. During his tenure with the Bulls, Jordan led the team to win six NBA Championships under coach Phil Jackson.

Jordan’s incredible accomplishments on the court began almost immediately upon signing with the Bulls. Jordan scored more than 3,000 points during the 1986-1987 season, becoming the second player in the history of the NBA to do so. 

After taking a brief break to try his hand at baseball, Jordan returned to the Bulls in 1995. The 1995-1996 season saw the Bulls post the second-best home record in history at 39-2 and the longest home winning streak at 44 games. Jordan retired from the Bulls after the 1997-1998 season after leading the team to another NBA Championship, the sixth championship in eight seasons.

Learn more:
Read more about Michael Jordan’s career with the Bulls on ESPN.com

Naval Station Great Lakes, located near North Chicago in Lake County, was commissioned in 1904 by President Theodore Roosevelt and dedicated in 1911 by President William Howard Taft. The original base was composed of 39 buildings and was designed by Jarvis Hunt, an Illinois architect. World War I would see a dramatic increase in the size of the base, with nearly 800 buildings on site at the end of the war.

Throughout World War II, more than one million sailors trained at Great Lakes. During this time, the base played an integral part in the government’s efforts to racially integrate military forces. In 1942, Great Lakes was selected to begin training African-American sailors. While originally these classes were segregated, separate classes were dismantled a few years later and all training courses were integrated.

Today, an average of 40,000 recruits pass through the Recruit Training Command annually.

Learn more:
Read more about the Golden Thirteen, a group of thirteen men who became the first African-American servicemen to complete officer training for the Navy
Read more about the history of Naval Station Great Lakes