· Chicago is the third largest city in the United States with a population of about 2.7 million.
· Over 52 million people visit Chicago annually.
· Chicago has many nicknames, including the Windy City, the City of Big Shoulders, the Second City, and the City that Works.
· Chicago has 26 miles of lakefront with an 18.5 mile lakefront path.
· Downtown Chicago is known as "the Loop." The nickname refers to the area encircled by the elevated (‘L’) train.
· Willis Tower, originally known as the Sears Tower, is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 110 stories.
· The Art Institute of Chicago is home to the largest collection of Impressionist paintings outside of Paris.
· The game of 16-inch softball, played without gloves, was invented in Chicago.
· The term “jazz” was coined in Chicago in 1914. The city’s native musicians included band leader Benny Goodman and drummer Gene Krupa.
· Chicago is famous for Chicago Style hot dogs (no ketchup) and Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza.
· The “Twinkie” was invented during the Depression by Chicagoan Jimmy Dewar. The dessert was originally filled with banana cream, but vanilla cream was swapped in as bananas became scarce during WWII.
· Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs, is the second oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball.
· The first Ferris wheel made its debut in Chicago at the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition. Today, Navy Pier is home to a 15-story Ferris wheel, modeled after the original one.
· Over 52 million people visit Chicago annually.
· Chicago has many nicknames, including the Windy City, the City of Big Shoulders, the Second City, and the City that Works.
· Chicago has 26 miles of lakefront with an 18.5 mile lakefront path.
· Downtown Chicago is known as "the Loop." The nickname refers to the area encircled by the elevated (‘L’) train.
· Willis Tower, originally known as the Sears Tower, is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 110 stories.
· The Art Institute of Chicago is home to the largest collection of Impressionist paintings outside of Paris.
· The game of 16-inch softball, played without gloves, was invented in Chicago.
· The term “jazz” was coined in Chicago in 1914. The city’s native musicians included band leader Benny Goodman and drummer Gene Krupa.
· Chicago is famous for Chicago Style hot dogs (no ketchup) and Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza.
· The “Twinkie” was invented during the Depression by Chicagoan Jimmy Dewar. The dessert was originally filled with banana cream, but vanilla cream was swapped in as bananas became scarce during WWII.
· Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs, is the second oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball.
· The first Ferris wheel made its debut in Chicago at the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition. Today, Navy Pier is home to a 15-story Ferris wheel, modeled after the original one.