Each April, Earth Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the natural beauty that surrounds us and the steps we can take to preserve it. In Illinois, that beauty stretches from rolling prairies and winding rivers to dense forests and peaceful wetlands—each playing a vital role in the state’s environment and way of life.

Illinois is home to a diverse range of landscapes that support wildlife, recreation, and agriculture. Places like Starved Rock State Park and Shawnee National Forest offer breathtaking views and miles of trails, while restored areas like Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie help preserve the state’s native prairie ecosystem. These spaces not only provide a place to explore, but also serve as reminders of Illinois’ deep connection to the land.

Conservation efforts across the state continue to protect these natural resources for future generations. From prairie restoration and pollinator programs to improving water quality in Illinois rivers and lakes, organizations and communities are working together to maintain a healthy environment. These efforts support everything from local wildlife habitats to the agricultural systems that help feed the nation.

Earth Day is also a chance for Illinoisans to get involved. Whether it’s visiting a local park, participating in a community cleanup, planting native flowers, or simply spending time outdoors, small actions can make a meaningful difference. Across the state, communities come together each spring to celebrate and care for the places they call home.

As the seasons begin to change and Illinois comes back to life after winter, Earth Day reminds us of the importance of protecting the landscapes that define our state. By appreciating and caring for these natural spaces, we can ensure they remain a source of beauty, recreation, and pride for years to come.

What do you think of when you think about McDonald’s? Probably the golden arches, their logo, the Big Mac, but not anything specifically Illinois-related.

McDonald’s may be the most popular restaurant chain today, but back in the early-1950s, not many people outside of California knew what it was. That changed when Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955.

That’s right. Today is the 71st anniversary of Illinoisans being able to enjoy McDonald’s.

Before working with McDonald’s, Kroc had quite a few different occupations. His first job was with the Red Cross Ambulance Corps during WWI, but he never went overseas. After the war ended, he became a musician and then sold paper cups. And Kroc’s last job before McDonald’s, which led to him discovering the restaurant, was as the exclusive distributor of the Multimixer, a milkshake mixing machine.

Trying to sell more Multimixers, Kroc visited the McDonald’s restaurant in California. While there, he became enthralled with how it was run. Luckily for him, he found out that the McDonald brothers, who ran the restaurant, were looking for a nationwide franchising agent. So, once again, he switched careers.

The first McDonald’s that Kroc opened was in Des Plaines, and it had over $350 of sales on its first day. Opening his first restaurant in Illinois made sense for Kroc, who grew up in Oak Park and attended Lincoln School and Oak Park River Forest High School.

After opening his first restaurant, Kroc continued to grow the McDonald’s brand, which included buying out Dick and Mac McDonald, the brothers who started the restaurant, in 1961. By the time Kroc died in 1984, there were 7,500 McDonald’s restaurants around the globe. And McDonald’s now has over 35,000 worldwide locations in more than 100 countries.

But the restaurant’s Illinois connections do not end with Kroc. McDonald’s started its Hamburger University employee training program, where employees receive Bachelor of Hamburgerology degrees, at its Elk Grove Village restaurant in 1961. And its current global headquarters is in Oak Brook, keeping its corporate leaders associated with Illinois today as well.

So the next time you pass a McDonald’s (and it is kind of hard not to), you can think about Illinois’ place in the restaurant’s history.

Springfield, the capital city of Illinois, was founded on April 10, 1821!

The first European settlers began arriving in 1818 as the area became more prominent because of its proximity to the Sangamon River.

We’re honoring Women’s History Month by celebrating the birthday of one of Illinois’ U.S. Senators, Tammy Duckworth!

Ladda Tammy Duckworth, known to many as Tammy Duckworth, was born on March 12, 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand to Lamai Sompornpairin and Franklin Duckworth. Franklin, Tammy’s father, was a veteran of the United State Army and Marine Corps, serving in World War II and the Vietnam War. He worked in Southeast Asia after his service. After her family relocated to Hawaii, she graduated from McKinley High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

On Feb. 3, 1809, the 10^th United States Congress passed legislation to officially establish the Illinois Territory, carved out from the western portion of the existing Indiana Territory. The decision was made after Congress received several petitions from residents in the area complaining of the difficulty of participating in territorial decision-making given their great distance from the territorial capitol in Corydon, and requesting a greater degree of autonomy. The new Illinois Territory included the boundaries of our modern state, as well as land that now makes up parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.