Chicago

Provides detailed information on Chicago's history, economy, architecture, culture, and key data including its role in finance, skyscraper innovation, and mu...

History Timeline

• 1670s — French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette identify the site as a potential portage between the Great Lakes and Mississippi
• 1833 — Chicago incorporated as a town with 350 residents
• 1837 — City of Chicago incorporated — named after the Native American word "shikaakwa" (wild onion/garlic)
• 1871 — The Great Chicago Fire destroys 3.3 square miles — 300+ deaths, 100,000 homeless — leads to the world's first skyscraper boom
• 1885 — Home Insurance Building completed — widely considered the world's first skyscraper (10 stories, steel frame)
• 1893 — World's Columbian Exposition — the "White City" showcases American innovation and births the City Beautiful movement
• 1920s — Al Capone era — Prohibition-era organized crime makes Chicago infamous
• 1942 — First controlled nuclear chain reaction achieved at the University of Chicago (Manhattan Project)
• 2020s — Chicago remains a global city: #3 US GDP, top architecture destination, major derivatives trading hub

Economy & Culture

• Financial: CME Group (world's largest derivatives exchange), Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, major banking operations
• Architecture: Birthplace of the skyscraper, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Gehry — the Chicago School of architecture
• Culture: Blues music, comedy (Second City, SNL alumni), deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs
• Education: University of Chicago, Northwestern (nearby), Loyola, DePaul
• Transportation: O'Hare Airport — one of the world's busiest; CTA "L" elevated rail system

Key Data

• Population: 2.7 million (city), 9.5 million (metro) — America's third-largest metro area
• GDP: ~$700 billion metropolitan area — larger than most countries
• CME Group: Handles 3+ billion contracts annually — the world's most active derivatives market
• Architecture Tours: 1+ million visitors annually for architecture boat tours

Interesting Facts

• Chicago literally reversed the flow of its river — in 1900, engineers built a canal system that made the Chicago River flow backward (away from Lake Michigan, its water supply, toward the Mississippi) to prevent sewage from contaminating the city's drinking water. It remains one of the greatest engineering feats in history
• The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was blamed on a cow kicking over a lantern (the famous Mrs. O'Leary's cow myth) — in reality, the cause was never determined, and a simultaneous fire in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, killed far more people (1,500+) on the same night