The Illinois Centennial Banner.
Photo from the Illinois Digital Archives

As the 100th anniversary of Illinois’ statehood neared, celebrations were being held throughout the state. All of this was going on against the backdrop of World War I, which America had entered the year before.

What had initially been planned as a huge celebration had very nearly been cancelled until Governor Frank Lowden issued a proclamation which called on Illinoisans to strengthen themselves against the current struggle by recalling the great challenges of the past. The state that had done so much to bring about victory in the Civil War would now celebrate its past while facing the trial of the First World War.

With the year long Bicentennial celebration in full swing, we thought we'd find out just how much you know about Illinois history. Take our quiz and learn just how much you know about Illinois' past.

Illinois will be celebrating its 200th birthday in 2018 and has hundreds of historic landmarks that tell the story of this great state.

Be part of history and the Illinois Bicentennial.

Plan your trip in amazing Illinois.

Learn more travel and Illinois history.


Here are 12 Illinois historic landmarks you should visit in 2018:

1. Nobel-Seymour Crippen House 
2. Ulysses S. Grant House
3. Graham Building
4. B. Harley Bradley House
5. Steeple Building
6. Woodstock Opera House 
7. David Davis Mansion 
8. Broadwell Inn & Tavern of Clayville
9. Beecher Hall and Illinois College
10. Fort de Chartres 
11. Joseph Smith House 
12. New Philadelphia 

Archeological excavations at Fort Massac State Park. Photo from the Illinois Blue Book Collection,
Illinois Digital Archives -  A Service of the State Library and Office of Secretary of State dd caption

On Sunday, Illinois marked our state’s 199th birthday. It was also the kickoff of the year-long celebration leading up to our bicentennial in 2018. Last week, we brought you the first of two parts of our collection of odds and ends from (nearly) 200 years of Illinois history. Here are a few more:

Get ready to break out some birthday candles — make that lots of birthday candles. Might want to grab a fire extinguisher too: Illinois turns 200 on Dec. 3, 2018.

The yearlong bicentennial celebration honoring two centuries of statehood has begun.

Like any milestone birthday or anniversary, bicentennials are a good excuse to look back, look forward and, most of all, have some fun.

In Travel, we're marking the occasion with a 200 To-Do List: two hundred things every Illinoisan should do — or see, eat and drink — at least once in a lifetime. Read more in the Chicago Tribune.

Click here for the first 20 entries in the History category.

Photo from the Illinois Digital Archives -  A Service of the
Illinois State Library and Office of Secretary of State 

Sunday December 3 will mark the State of Illinois’ 199th birthday and the kickoff of the year-long celebration leading up to our bicentennial in 2018. In honor of this momentous occasion, here are a few odds and ends from (nearly) 200 years of Illinois history.

• Illinois’ original northern border was a line drawn from the southern tip of Lake Michigan west to the Mississippi River. Just before statehood Illinois’ territorial delegate to Washington, Nathaniel Pope, convinced Congress to move the line 40 miles north into what would have become southern Wisconsin. This move gave Illinois a port on the Great Lakes. Two hundred years later, this area of the state includes 14 counties and around 60% of Illinois’ population. 

Spawned by the demands of a rapidly changing America, historic Route 66 defined a remarkable era in our nation’s history. State Representative Tim Butler (R-Springfield) is proud of the fact that he is the only member of the Illinois General Assembly who actually lives on the historic highway. In our interview he talks about the highway that connected Chicago to St. Louis and what it means to the state of Illinois. In addition, he discusses the upcoming state bicentennial celebration and his ancestor who was a member of the very first Illinois General Assembly.

Have All Voted Who Wish are the stories about the real people who represent us in Springfield. Illinois lawmakers tell us about their passions and how it shapes their policy initiatives.

Governor Bruce Rauner today convened the first meeting of the Illinois Bicentennial Commission and unveiled the official Bicentennial logo at the Old State Capitol. The co-chairs of the Bicentennial Commission were also announced.

“From Kaskaskia to Vandalia and now Springfield, this has been a long time coming, and I am honored that you can be a part of this effort to honor our past while paving the way for our future,” Governor Rauner said. “From our rich history to our rich soil Illinois has changed over the last two centuries but our focus is still much the same. We’re still deeply rooted and invested in our children’s education, moving Illinois forward through innovation and technology and working together to make our great state the best place to live in the country.”