September 30, 2021: Illinois reports just over 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the state during September, more than double the previous month and the deadliest month since February.
September 29, 2021: The Chicago Bears announce an agreement to purchase the Arlington Park racetrack (pictured).
September 25, 2021: Sister Ruler wins the final race to be held at the Arlington Park racetrack before its closure.
April 6, 2021: Illinois holds local elections for many municipal and district offices.
Map of the outbreak in Illinois by confirmed new infections per 100,000 people (14 days preceding March 29) March 19, 2021: Governor J. B. Pritzker and IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike announce a new "bridge" phase in the Restore Illinois plan that will begin once the state reaches certain health and vaccination measures.
February 24, 2021: Representative Edward Guerra Kodatt resigns after just three days in office.
February 24, 2021: Former Representative Edward Acevedo is indicted for tax crimes related to the ongoing Commonwealth Edison corruption investigation.
February 22, 2021: J. B. Pritzker signs HB 3653, a major criminal justice reform bill, making Illinois the first state to eliminate cash bail, among numerous other changes to criminal justice and policing.
February 15, 2021: Parts of northern Illinois receive up to 17 inches (43 cm) of snow and winds up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) in the North American winter storm of February 2021.
February 4, 2021: All of Illinois moves into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, allowing indoor service to resume in bars, restaurants, and many other facilities.
February 3, 2021: Former Senator and gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann is indicted on charges related to misuse of campaign money.
January 25, 2021: Illinois enters its next phase of COVID-19 vaccine administration, opening many new vaccination sites and extending eligibility to residents over 65 and several categories of workers in higher-risk jobs.
January 19, 2020: All of Illinois except Metro East moves away from Tier 3 of the COVID-19 mitigation plan, loosening many restrictions and reopening many businesses.
December 4, 2020: SEIU Healthcare Illinois members agree to a contract with Infinity Healthcare Management, ending a 12-day strike affecting 11 Illinois nursing homes.
November 23, 2020: Members of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, demanding hazard pay and safer conditions during the pandemic, begin a strike affecting 11 Illinois nursing homes.
November 20, 2020: All of Illinois moves back to Tier 3 of the Restore Illinois plan, with some regions under Tier 2 restrictions.
November 18, 2020: Two former executives and two consultants of Commonwealth Edison are indicted for bribery to influence Speaker Michael Madigan(pictured).
November 11, 2020: Without issuing a formal Stay-at-home order, the IDPH recommends that all Illinoisans leave their homes as little as possible for three weeks.
September 9, 2020: The entire student body of Bradley University is placed under quarantine after a COVID-19 outbreak on campus.
August 26, 2020: An Antioch teenager is arrested for killing two protesters the previous night in the Kenosha riot.
August 26, 2020: Illinois's Region 7, comprising Will and Kankakee Counties, enacts new restrictions, including closing indoor service in restaurants and bars.
May 1, 2020: Cloth face masks are required in all indoor public spaces in Illinois, and any other public place where social distancing cannot be maintained.
April 23, 2020: Illinois extends its shelter in place order to the end of May, adding a requirement to wear cloth face masks in public but permitting the reopening of some retail businesses.
April 4, 2020: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Illinois tops 10,000, with 243 deaths.
March 31, 2020: The Illinois Healthcare Professional Emergency Volunteer Program issues an emergency alert to Illinois smartphones calling on licensed medical workers to sign up with the state.
March 29, 2020: An infant in Chicago dies after testing positive for COVID-19, the first infant death in the United States associated with the pandemic.
March 25, 2020: The Illinois tax filling deadline is extended from April 15 to July 15.
March 20, 2020: Illinois enacts a shelter in place order, closing nonessential businesses and restricting travel.
October 5, 2018: CPD Officer Jason Van Dyke is found guilty of second degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery in the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
August 3, 2018: Kevin and Raymond Teborek's Challenge wins the Mackinac Trophy and Bill Alcott and Tom Anderson's Equation wins the Mackinac Cup in the 110th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.
2016 Elections: Voters approve an amendment to the Constitution of Illinois that requires money raised from transportation taxes and fees to be spent exclusively on transportation projects.
August 30, 2016: The FBI announces that an Illinois State Board of Elections database containing electoral roll information was breached by foreign hacker, possibly from Russia.
July 5, 2016: In an escalating wave of violence in Chicago, more than 60 people are shot over the weekend of Independence Day, bringing the total number of shooting victims above 2,000 since the start of 2016.
June 30, 2016: Governor Bruce Rauner(pictured) signs a temporary state budget that will allow schools and other public services to continue functioning despite the ongoing fiscal crisis in Illinois.
June 24, 2016: Officials at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announce that they are no longer considering a site on Chicago's lakefront and will instead build the museum at a site in California.
April 27, 2015: Former member of Congress and Speaker of the HouseDennis Hastert(pictured) is sentenced to fifteen months in prison after admitting to having sexually abused boys while working as a teacher and coach at Yorkville High School.
January 5, 2016: Wheaton College announces that it is starting proceedings to terminate Prof. Larycia Hawkins(pictured) over statements favorable to Islam.
November 24–27, 2015: Thousands protest in Chicago (pictured) after Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke is charged with murder in the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
November 21, 2015: A fire on the 50th floor of the John Hancock Center is put out after causing minor injuries.
October 28, 2015: Former member of Congress and Speaker of the HouseDennis Hastert(pictured) pleads guilty to one count of making illegally structured banking withdrawals.
October 1, 2015: Teachers in East St. Louis School District 189 go on strike when the union and the district fail to agree on a new contract, cancelling classes for around 6,000 students.
July 22. 2015: Vern McCain's Spirit Walker wins the Mackinac Trophy and David Bohl's Odyssey wins the Mackinac Cup in the 107th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac(2014 event pictured).
December 3, 2014: The 98th Illinois General Assembly adjourns for the last time without passing anticipated bills to raise taxes, reduce spending, or increase the minimum wage.
November 4, 2014: All plans to build the Chicago Spire(artist's impression pictured) are abandoned as Garrett Kelleher relinquishes the property to creditor Related Midwest LLC.
October 30, 2014: Cook County prosecutors throw out the conviction of Alstory Simon for a 1982 double murder, the same crime for which Anthony Porter was exonerated in 1999 just before his scheduled execution.
October 29, 2014: Amazon.com announces plans to build a $75 million dollar distribution center at an undetermined location in Illinois.
September 10–18, 2014: The teachers of Highland CUSD in Highland, Illinois, strike for six school days, the first strike in the school district's history.
May 31, 2014: The 98th Illinois General Assembly adjourns for the last time before elections this year, having passed a budget that neither raises taxes nor cuts spending.
May 19, 2014: An Illinois man tests positive for Middle East respiratory syndrome, the third identified case of MERS in the United States.
May 14, 2014: A Circuit Court issues a stay of Illinois's pension reform law that cuts benefits for many public employees, due to take effect on June 1.
December 5, 2013: Governor Pat Quinn signs a law reforming Illinois's public pension system, raising the age of retirement and reducing benefits for many public employees.
July 1, 2009: The Illinois minimum wage rises twenty-five cents to $8.00 an hour. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. (Chicago Sun-Times)
June 20, 2009: A freight train carrying ethanol derails and explodes in Rockford. One person is killed and nine others were injured. (WIFR)
April 18, 2008: A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hits southern Illinois. It was the strongest earthquake in Illinois in since 1968. No major injuries or damage were reported. (AP)
March 21, 2008: Two adults and three teenagers are arrested for the murder of an Alton woman. The perpetrators shot the woman repeatedly with BBs, burned her skin with a glue gun, and hit her with a metal bat. (AP)
February 2, 2008: A gunman shoots and kills five women in a failed robbery of a Tinley Park mall. A US$51,000 reward is offered for information about the suspect. (USA Today)
January 30, 2008: The USDA declares sixty-one counties in Illinois to be "disaster areas", due to a long-standing drought. This enables farmers to apply for low-interest emergency loans. (Reuters)
January 1, 2008: A public smoking ban goes into effect for the state of Illinois.
October 7, 2007: 2007 Chicago Marathon has recordsetting temperatures which resulted in one death, a men's photo finish victory by Patrick Ivuti and come from behind stretch run victory by Berhane Adere. (IHT)
August 9, 2007: A monster truck loses control and crashes into a crowd of spectators in DeKalb. At least twelve people were injured, two of which were injured seriously. The cause of the crash has not been determined. (Daily Chronicle)
July 24, 2007:GovernorRod Blagojevich signs legislation to ban smoking in Illinois public places. The law will go into effect January 1, 2008, and violators will be fined up to $250. (Washington Post)
July 17, 2007: Five hundred cases of food poisoning are traced to the Pars Cove Persian Cuisine booth at the Taste of Chicago. Fifty of those cases have been confirmed to be caused by salmonella bacteria. Two partrons of the booth have sued the restaurant, which has temporarily been forbidden to serve hummus. (AP)
July 9, 2007: Flooding, sixty mile-per-hour winds, and penny-sized hail hit DeKalb County. Over four inches of rain fell in eighty minutes, and 19,000 ComEd customers lost power. (Daily Chronicle)
July 5, 2007: A special session is held to determine a budget for Illinois' 2008 fiscal year. Governor Rod Blagojevich refuses to attend the session. (AP)
July 1, 2007: The minimum wage of Illinois increases one dollar to $7.50/hr. While the new rate would still put workers with families under the poverty line, Illinois now has one of the top seven highest paying minimum wages. (AP)
June 30, 2007:GovernorRod Blagojevich signs a law that will allow companies to compete for Illinois' cable TV service without signing a separate contract for each city or town. Comcast originally held exclusive cable rights, but other companies such as AT&T and Verizon are expected to provide competition. (AP)
June 26, 2007:Flash floods strike Chicago and its suburbs. Some parts of the city received four inches of rain within forty-five minutes. (Chicago Tribune)
June 21, 2007: Murder charges are filed against Christopher Vaughn of Joliet, Illinois. Vaughn's wife and three children were found shot to death on June 14, 2007 in Vaughn's Ford Expedition on Interstate 55. (AP)
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