In the summer of 1980, two new entertainment venues opened in the Chicago area at which those seeking amusement could see live music and more. Both of those and many others made for a busy summer of entertainment. #ChicagoHi…
BONUS EPISODE! The response to episode 224 about the Cicero Race Riots of 1951 has been so strong I decided to record a few extra stories that didn’t make the final script. If you haven’t listened to the full episode yet, pl…
It is a suburb on the outskirts of Chicago with ties to Al Capone, manufacturing, and in the 1950’s was the site of three days of chaos, sparked by an African American family trying to legally move into an apartment building…
He came from humble beginnings and worked his way up to become mayor of the greatest city in the world before the bullet from a madman changed history. This is the story of Mayor Anton Cermak. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoPolitic…
She grew up in a small town in Illinois in the late 1800s and became known worldwide as an activist, reformer, and winner of a Nobel Peace Prize. This is the story of Jane Addams and Hull House. #Chicago #ChicagoHistory #Chi…
It was a Civil War prison in Richmond, VA, housing thousands of Union soldiers captured during that war. After the war, someone thought the building would make a good tourist attraction in… Chicago. This is the story of the …
A preacher who drove snakes out of Ireland, dyeing the river green, and a hefty amount of backroom politics – episode 220 of the Chicago History Podcast looks at St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoIrish #S…
He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but when this Chicago-born department store heir died mysteriously at the age of 20, things really got weird. Montgomery Ward Thorne in this episode. #ChicagoHistory #MontgomeryW…
She graduated high school in La Grange, IL at 14 and received her BS from the University of Chicago at 18. She then became a key figure in the development of atomic energy before the age of 23. In this episode we look at phy…
The Beatles were one of the biggest bands of the 1960s and a HUUUUGE presence here in Chicago. Author John F, Lyons joins me to talk about his new book Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago, and the 1960s , coming March 2. #Chi…
In 1939, Chicago was the site of the production of the Antarctic Snow Cruiser, a 37-ton rolling laboratory with ten-foot-tall tires designed for research at the South Pole. From concept to launch, there were... a few problem…
He has been called the first international African American sports superstar and in his time was the biggest star of any sport. Although he wasn’t born in Chicago, some of Marshall "Major" Taylor's most lasting accomplishmen…
Fun and physical exercise with wheels on your feet! Chicago's connection to roller skating runs deeps, from the late 1800's and the first roller rinks in the city to one of the most prominent skate manufacturers in the count…
It was one of the defining moments for the United States during World War II - the capture of a German U-boat on the Atlantic Ocean. Hear the story and the event's many Chicago connections. #ChicagoHistory #USNavy #MuseumOfS…
In 1937, 83 years before the current pandemic forced kids to find ways to learn outside of the traditional classroom, Chicago school child learned by radio. This is that story and the story of polio in Chicago. #ChicagoHisto…
He was a manager at a Coca-Cola bottling plant, married, with two teenage sons living the good life in suburban Naperville, IL in 1967. When a bomb exploded aboard a plane on which his wife Jeanne was flying, Earle T. Cook q…
There was a time when in order to receive blood at a hospital, it needed to be donated directly from a donor to the recipient. One man changed that with the invention of a way to store blood in a "blood bank." Along the way,…
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a familiar sight near the river and Clark Street was the Rouse Simmons, also known as The Christmas Tree Ship, and its captain Herman Schuenemann, who became known to families as Captain Sa…
In November of 1990, a film about a young boy accidentally left at home at Christmas who defends his house against burglars became a worldwide sensation. This is the story of Home Alone . #HomeAlone #JohnHughes #JohnCandy #M…
On Memorial Day, May 25th, 1981, a 25-year-old year old sport climber dressed as comic book hero Spider-Man used a system of suction cups and other climbing gear to scale the outside of the 110-story Sears Tower, which at th…
In this episode we'll cover a holiday story from Chicago's past and then welcome a special guest - Amanda Scotese, founder of Chicago Detours. Chicago Detours has entertained and educated tens of thousands of tourists and lo…
For a city long defined by fire, nothing could have prepared Chicago for the tragedy at the Catholic grade school Our Lady of the Angels on December 1, 1958. Chicago Fire Commissioner Robert Quinn may have summed things up m…
Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood is home to many beautiful homes, including ones in an area called Beer Baron Row. In this episode we discuss how this name came about and the murder of John Henry Raap, a prominent German A…
In this episode we talk with WTTW's Geoffrey Baer and Eddie Griffin about their new project, Chicago From The Air , which takes audiences on a bird’s eye tour of Chicago’s landmarks, neighborhoods, and suburbs, shot entirely…
