While 2020 was certainly not what anyone expected, Illinois still had much to celebrate. Throughout this tough year, neighbors came together to provide for their communities and exemplify what it means to be an Illinoisan. Here are some of our top stories of 2020:

Have you ever had a cheeseburger or grilled cheese sandwich? If you have, then chances are you’ve had Kraft cheese. But did you know that Kraft began selling cheese in 1903 and opened its first cheese plant in Stockton, Illinois in 1914?

The 1990 American Christmas family comedy Home Alone was filmed in the Chicagoland area! Several scenes were shot at the O’Hare Airport and in Winnetka’s neighborhoods, where the fictional McCallister family’s home still stands.

Filmmaker John Hughes grew up on the North Shore and wanted the movie to be filmed in a real neighborhood, rather than a set. Many of the iconic scenes took place in real parts of the home.

National Illinois Day is celebrated Dec. 7 each year to commemorate the Land of Lincoln and Prairie State. From the Windy City down to Southern Illinois, the state has a lot to offer.

Today, Illinois is the fifth most populous state in the U.S. Illinois became a state on Dec. 3, 1818 and was the 21st state to enter the Union. The General Assembly adopted the state slogan, "Land of Lincoln," in 1955.

Today is Walt Disney’s birthday! He was born in Chicago’s Hermosa community in 1901. His name has since become synonymous with entertainment and enchantment.

Disney attended McKinley High School in Chicago, where he took drawing and photography classes and was a contributing cartoonist for the school paper. At night, he took courses at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In 1919, after pursuing careers as a newspaper artist and an advertisement animator, Disney decided to open his own animation business. Disney was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1923, but soon moved to Hollywood with his brother Roy and began the Disney Brothers’ Cartoon Studio, which later became Walt Disney Studios.