The story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz begins with Dorothy and Toto in Kansas, but where did the idea for one of the best-known tales in American literature take shape?

L. Frank Baum, author of the original book, wrote the story while he was living in Chicago. A New York native, Baum was a lifelong writer, having established two amateur journals by the time he was 17 and publishing his first book at 30 in 1886. From there, he experimented in theater and later worked as a newspaper editor.

For the first time since 1972, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve will broadcast live from downtown Chicago, putting the city on a national stage as viewers across the U.S. ring in 2026.

Traditionally set in Times Square in New York City, the beloved New Year’s Eve special has become a cultural institution. Celebrating its 55^th year, the broadcast is taking on a historic expansion with Chicago hosting the Central Time Zone live countdown and a Spanish-language live broadcast from Puerto Rico.

When most of us think about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, we picture a beloved holiday icon leading Santa’s sleigh through winter skies, but few realize this famous character actually originated in Chicago.

In 1939, Chicago was home to one of America’s biggest retailers – Montgomery Ward. Trying to boost interest in its toy department and compete with rival Sears, the company turned to a catalog copywriter named Robert Lewis May. May was asked to create a children’s Christmas story to hand out at Montgomery Ward stores during the holiday season.

Exciting news for baseball fans in Illinois and across the country! The Women’s Professional Baseball League plans to play its inaugural season in Springfield. Four teams from major cities across the U.S. – New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston – will be playing their 2026 season at Springfield’s very own Robin Roberts Stadium.

Illinois has played a central role in women’s baseball since the sport’s earliest days. Springfield’s connection goes back 150 years. In 1875, two women’s baseball clubs, the Blondes and the Brunettes, played a ticketed game, becoming one of the first women’s baseball events to have paying customers where players were paid.

Beloved stage and screen icon Dick Van Dyke is being honored by his hometown of Danvillein celebration of his upcoming 100^th birthday.

Van Dyke, who was raised in Danville and started his career in the town as a local radio DJ on WDAN, became a household name for starring in the CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s, and went on to great acclaim in movie musicals Mary Poppins, Bye Bye Birdie, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Throughout his illustrious career, Van Dyke has been received a Grammy Award, six Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Disney Legends Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors.