Chicago, Illinois

</gallery>. The Jets lost on a 33 yard field goal by Pittsburgh kicker Jeff Reed, as they fell just short yet again.
. This one sailed wide left, forcing the game into overtime.
. Brien was saved by an interception of Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the next play, and soon lined up for a 43 yard attempt.
. It fell just short.

When creating references please refer to the Wikipedia Cite Sources guidelines. With the score tied at 17-17 late in the fourth quarter, kicker Doug Brien lined up for a 47 yard field goal attempt that would have put the Jets up.
. While the offense struggled, producing only a field goal, a punt return and interception return kept the Jets in the game.
. In the divisional round, the Jets hung tight with the heavily favored Steelers. Related topics. The game sent the Jets to the divisional round against the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Museums. In a classic bout which was a rematch of week 2 the Jets prevailed with a Doug Brien field goal in overtime. Related topics. Herm Edwards' team faced the AFC West champion San Diego Chargers in the opening round, a team that featured Pro Bowlers Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates. and international transportation hub by working to expand O'Hare International Airport. Additionally, a new airport has been proposed for Peotone, Illinois, and the city is working toward expanding its ties with the Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, Indiana. Despite struggling down the stretch, the Jets finished with a 10-6 record and earned a wild card berth. In the 21st century, Chicago is working toward maintaining its status as a U.S. Pennington was healthy again for the start of the 2004 season, and the Jets started the season 5-0 before losing 2 of their next 3.

The land is to be converted into a lakeside park. The Jets finished 6-10. Daley in a nighttime coup, was a relatively small airstrip but unique because of its proximity to Chicago's downtown, and as an airstrip for private planes it was one of the busiest in the world. Pennington came back midway through the season, but it was too late. Meigs Field, which was closed by Mayor Richard M. Testaverde, thought by many on the downside of his career, was forced to take over. In the 20th century, Chicago held on to its status as a transportation hub with the building of three airports: O'Hare International Airport, Midway Airport, and Meigs Field. The Jets lost several players to free agency in the off-season (mostly to the Washington Redskins), and a pre-season injury to Pennington submarined the Jets in 2003.

All of the Class I railroads in existence in the United States maintain (often multiple) terminals in and around Chicago, and the city is served by a large number of smaller railroads that both interconnect the larger railroads and connect to locations not served by the larger railroads. The Jets cruised through the opening playoff game with a 41-0 blowout of the Indianapolis Colts, but collapsed in the second half against the eventual AFC champion Raiders in the divisional playoff. Chicago is still the railroad hub of the United States. Pennington threw 22 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions, and a win over the Green Bay Packers in the final week gave them the AFC East title at 9-7. This network allowed Chicago to become the center of the meat packing industry. Testaverde was benched early in the season with the team at 1-4, and replaced with Chad Pennington, who proved to be the spark the Jets needed. By 1856, Chicago was the railroad hub of America and by the end of the decade more than 100 trains were coming and going each day. The AFC East proved to be even more competitive in 2002, with all four teams in the race well into December.

In the 1850s the railroads started growing from Chicago faster than anywhere else in the world. The results were different in the playoffs, with the Raiders cruising to a 38-24 win. Even today Chicago's importance in global distribution remains as it is the third largest inter-modal port in the world after Hong Kong and Singapore. The team managed to salvage a wild-card with a 53-yard game-winning field goal against the Oakland Raiders in the final minute, forcing a rematch with the Raiders in the opening playoff game. Chicago then became one of the largest grain and lumber ports in the world, with grain going to more established populations and lumber being sent to the forest-starved prairies where new settlers needed to build. Under new coach Herman Edwards, the Jets were streaky through the 2001 season in a highly competitive AFC East. Louis, and south to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. Groh resigned after his first season to coach the University of Virginia team.

The Illinois and Michigan Canal, completed in 1848, allowed for transport around the world with connecting waterways through Chicago all the way to New York and the Atlantic, west to St. It was the highlight of the season, but they only won 3 of their last 9 to finish at 9-7 and out of the playoffs. Much of this status stems from its geographic proximity during a time when the United States was growing quickly in population and area. Down 30-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Jets exploded for 30 points in the last 15 minutes, and John Hall kicked the winning field goal in overtime. Chicago can be considered one of the prime transportation hubs in America. The Jets won 6 of their first 7 games, capped by the biggest comeback in Monday Night Football history against the Dolphins. Related topics. The team finally settled Al Groh to lead the team for the 2000 season.

[2] (http://www.uic.edu/depts/mcam/aboutcom.html/). His handpicked successor, Bill Belichick also resigned after one day on the job and ended up taking the job with the Patriots. The University of Illinois at Chicago claims to be the largest medical school in the United States (1300 students, including those at campuses in Peoria, Rockford and Urbana-Champaign). Parcells resigned his coaching position in early 2000 after disagreements with owner Woody Johnson. It is also home to the sprawling Illinois Medical District on the Near West Side as well as the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Dental Association, and the American College of Surgeons. The Jets collapsed to an 8-8 record. The city is first among the major dental and medical training centers in the United States. The Jets' hopes for the 1999 season were dashed in their first game against the New England Patriots, when Testaverde injured his Achilles tendon.

The United States has the largest health care system in the world, and Chicago is arguably the capital of that system. Testaverde threw two late interceptions and Denver running back Terrell Davis burned the Jets for 167 yards and a touchdown, and the Broncos won 23-10. Related topics. New York looked bound for the Super Bowl with a 10-0 lead in the third quarter of the AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos. Until about 1850, men outnumbered women and this male-dominated subculture encouraged gambling and drinking, as well as activities such as billiards and horse racing. Earning a first-round bye, the Jets survived a scare from the Jacksonville Jaguars in their divisional playoff game, winning 34-24. While the complete truth of the story is sometimes doubted, it is important as an early Chicago legend and does reflect the early days of sports in the city. Early Chicago had only the most primitive of sports. The Jets won 10 of their last 11 games and finished the season 12-4.

As soon as the fight began, police moved in and arrested every criminal and escorted them to the city borders. Both paid immediate dividends: Testaverde threw 29 touchdowns, Martin ran for 1287 yards and 8 touchdowns, while both Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet had 1000 yards receiving. During the city's boomtown days local authorities staged a dogfight, knowing that it would attract some of the more unsavory characters on the town's crime scene. Parcells grabbed Patriots running back Curtis Martin and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Vinny Testaverde in time for the 1998 season, which turned out to be the most successful for the team since the 1960s. In the early history of the city, sports were at the heart of some founding legends. The Jets finished 9-7, but still out of the playoffs. It is one of the few cities in the United States with two professional baseball teams (Cubs, White Sox) plus professional football (Bears), soccer (Fire), basketball (Bulls), and two professional hockey teams (the Blackhawks and the minor-league Wolves). Neil O'Donnell, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, threw for 17 touchdowns in his only full year as the Jets' starting quarterback, and Adrian Murrell ran for 1000 yards.

Chicago is also identified with many sports teams. The results were immediate. Related topics. Wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was picked #1 overall, and New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells abandoned that team to take the Jets' coaching job for the 1997 season. Moody, a 19th Century evangelist who held a Sunday School and founded a church there. The draft picks the Jets received set the stage for a quick turnaround in the late 1990s. Chicago is home to the Moody Bible Institute, named after Dwight L. During Kotite's two-year term in New York, the Jets won only four games: a 3-13 record in 1995, and 1-15 in 1996, in both cases the worst in the NFL.

Historically, Chicago is remembered for machine politics ("Vote early and vote often" and "A city run of the Daleys, by the Daleys, for the Daleys" are two phrases associated with Chicago politics), meat packing (as mentioned in the nicknames section and made infamous by Upton Sinclair's The Jungle), and gangster violence during Prohibition (some key figures are linked to Chicago, such as Al Capone and John Dillinger). Carroll was fired after only one season, but his replacement Rich Kotite proved to be even worse. At the same time, Sandburg, who was a lifelong Socialist, published other less well-known poems criticising Chicago's disparities in wealth. The play came to be known as "The Fake Spike," and the Jets never recovered, finishing the season 6-10, last place in the AFC East. These poems are representative of Chicago's spirit. But in a game against the Miami Dolphins, quarterback Dan Marino fooled the Jets into thinking he would spike the ball to stop the clock, then threw the winning touchdown to Mark Ingram for an inprobable victory. Carl Sandburg, a Pulitzer Prize–winning poet and Abraham Lincoln biographer, gave the city one of its best-known nicknames, "City of Big Shoulders", in his Chicago Poems (1916). Optimism was high for the 1994 season when the Jets started the season 6-5 and played Miami in late November.

Chicago also has a great literary tradition. Coslet was fired as head coach and replaced by Pete Carroll. Many world-famous actors and comedians are from Chicago or have studied there, particularly at Northwestern University. A mid-season winning streak gave Jets fans hope, but they missed the playoffs at 8-8 with a loss to Houston in their final game. It is home to The Second City and ImprovOlympic, two of the largest comedy troupes in the world. With the Nagle experiment over, longtime Cincinnati Bengals QB Boomer Esiason joined the team for the 1993 season. Chicago is a well-known theater capital and is the mecca for improvizational comedy. Remarkably, he walked again within two years.

In addition, Chicago schools have developed in various studies, such as the famed Chicago school of architecture and the Chicago schools of economic theory, literary criticism and urban sociology, the latter three founded at the University of Chicago. Tragedy struck the Jets in November when defensive lineman Dennis Byrd was paralyzed in a game against Kansas City. Another local specialty is "cheese fries", French fries covered in cheese. Browning Nagle took over O'Brien's starting QB job for the 1992 season, but the Jets disappointed fans again with a 4-12 finish. The Italian Beef typically includes cheese, peppers, and onions. In their opening-round playoff game, the Jets fell 17-10 to the Houston Oilers. Chicago has a homegrown riposte to the "po' boy" of New Orleans and the equivalent "hoagie" of Philadelphia in the Italian beef sandwich. They won a wild-card playoff spot by beating the Miami Dolphins on the final weekend of the season.

In the field of popular cuisine, Chicago style Pizza provides the antithesis to New York styles and hot dogs, being synonymous with deep-dish and stuffed pizza in addition to being linked to a robustly complex Chicago style Hot Dog (often called "the garbage dog") that challenges the relative simplicity of a New York coney dog. In 1991, with Brad Baxter having a career-high 11 touchdown receptions, the Jets improved to 8-8. In the field of music, Chicago is well-known for its Chicago blues, but it is also the birthplace of the House style of music, whose history is related to the development and fostering of the techno electronic style of music in nearby Detroit. Ken O'Brien was on the downside of his career, and the team finished 6-10. For its youth as compared to Eastern cities, Chicago has made many significant pop-cultural contributions. Bruce Coslet, hired to lead the team for the 1990 season, let most of their stars from the 1980s go. Related topics. The team went into a tailspin in 1989, finishing 4-12 and causing the firing of coach Joe Walton.

Additionally Chicago is considered to be the Prime Global Advertising Service Center by the GaWC. Gastineau shocked the team by retiring midway through the 1988 season, one in which the Jets finished 8-7-1, short of a playoff spot in the competitive AFC wild-card race. Chicago is considered to command the third-largest market in North America (after New York City and Los Angeles - although Mexico City is larger, its market does not hold such importance) and as such has many different forms of media and outlets to support its status. In 1987 the Jets again stumbled through December, but this time they missed the playoffs with a 6-9 record. They inspired the creation of the City Colleges of Chicago. A late comeback by the Cleveland Browns in their divisional playoff matchup led to a double-overtime winning field goal by Mark Moseley that broke Jets' fans hearts. Stanley Brown in 1899. Pat Ryan was named the starting quarterback for the playoffs, and they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs handily in the first round.

Community colleges were pioneered by locals William Rainey Harper and J. The team slid through December, losing five straight to finish 10-6. Columbia College, Roosevelt University and The School of the Art Institute are major schools geared towards urban studies, fine arts and performance arts. Wesley Walker caught 12 touchdowns, with second-year player Al Toon catching 8. Major research universities such as the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Chicago call Chicago home. The Jets looked to improve on that mark for the 1986 season, with the team winning 9 straight games to start the season at 10-1. Loyola is one of the largest institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The Jets made the playoffs with an 11-5 record, but were stunned in the first round by the cinderella New England Patriots.

Two of the most honored institutions of the Roman Catholic Church are DePaul University in Lincoln Park and Loyola University in Rogers Park and Edgewater. In 1985 O'Brien threw 25 touchdowns (seven to Mickey Shuler and five to Wesley Walker) and eight interceptions, and four different rushers combined for 18 touchdowns on the ground. Chicago holds a distinguished place in the United States for higher education as the home of such schools as the University of Chicago in Hyde Park and Northwestern University in Evanston. In addition to a new stadium, Ken O'Brien took over at quarterback; but the team stumbled to the same 7-9 record. Main article: Colleges and universities of Chicago. In 1984 they moved from Shea Stadium (where they were second fiddle to baseball's New York Mets) to the Meadowlands of East Rutherford, New Jersey (where they played second fiddle to the New York Giants).
. Joe Walton was the new coach for the 1983 season, and he led the team to a 7-9 season.

Related topics. The Dolphins won 14-0, and Walt Michaels took a job in the short-lived United States Football League. Of the total population, 28.1% of those under the age of 18 and 15.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. In a strike-shortened 1982 season, the Jets finished 6-3 and upset the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the playoffs, followed by another upset of the Oakland Raiders in the second round. In the AFC Championship against the rival Miami Dolphins, Richard Todd's reputation of throwing costly interceptions came back to haunt him: he threw three. Below the poverty line are 19.6% of the population and 16.6% of the families. A late comeback in their first playoff game, against the Buffalo Bills, was stopped when Todd threw an interception deep in Bills territory in the final minute, and the Jets went home empty-handed. The per capita income for the city is $20,175. Finishing 10-5-1, the team made the playoffs for the first time since 1969 on Richard Todd's 3231 yards passing and 25 touchdowns, most of them to Wesley Walker and Jerome Barkum.

Males have a median income of $35,907 versus $30,536 for females. That 1981 season was the Jets' first winning season since joining the NFL. The median income for a household in the city is $38,625, and the median income for a family is $42,724. Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko anchored the "New York Sack Exchange" and combined for more than 40 sacks by 1981. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.1 males. One of the Jets' bright spots in the late 1970s was their defensive line. For every 100 females there are 94.2 males. Todd imploded with a 30-interception season in 1980 and the team went down with him, finishing 4-12 and last in the AFC East.

The median age is 32 years. Richard Todd took over under center for the 1979 season and did even better, but the Jets again finished 8-8. Of the city population, 26.2% are under the age of 18, 11.2% are from 18 to 24, 33.4% are from 25 to 44, 18.9% are from 45 to 64, and 10.3% are 65 years of age or older. The Jets were rejeuvenated for the 1978 season, with quarterback Matt Robinson throwing for 2000 yards and the team finishing 8-8. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.50. Namath left the Jets after the 1976 season, playing one year with the Los Angeles Rams before retiring. Walt Michaels was hired for the 1977 season and stayed with the team for six years. Of all households, 32.6% are made up of individuals and 8.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. After a late-season surge to finish 7-7 in 1974, the Jets finished 3-11 each year until 1977.

There are 1,061,928 households, of which 28.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% are married couples living together, 18.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% are non-families. The Jets went through three coaches for the next three seasons. It is also considered to be the second-largest Serbian city in the world after Belgrade (which has a population of two million). After another disappointing season in 1973, coach Weeb Ewbank retired. Daley. Chicago has the largest ethnically Polish population outside of Polish capital of Warsaw, making it one of the most important Polonia centers. Namath was back for the 1972 season, leading the team to a respectable 7-7. Many of Chicago's politicians have come from this massive Irish population, including the current mayor, Richard M. Another injury to Namath before the 1971 season submarined the Jets that year as well, with Bob Davis and Al Woodall leading the team to a 6-8 record.

The main ethnic groups in Chicago are Irish, German, Italian and Polish. Chicago has a very large Irish-American population on its South Side. In their first season after the merger, Joe Namath broke his wrist in October and had to sit out the rest of the year, with the Jets finishing 4-10. Chicago's unique culture arises from it being a melting pot, with nearly even percentages of Whites and African-Americans and a sizeable Hispanic minority. The Jets did not live up to expectations after the AFL and NFL merged in 1970. Of the population, 26.02% are Hispanic or Latino of any race. The Jets' first game in the NFL was also the first-ever Monday Night Football game, a 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The racial makeup of the city is 41.97% White, 36.77% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 4.35% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 13.58% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. This victory showed that the AFL was capable of competing with the NFL.

There are 1,152,868 housing units at an average density of 1,959.8/km² (5,075.8/mi²). In the week leading up to Super Bowl III, Namath famously "guaranteed" a victory and the Jets went on to complete one of the greatest upsets in football history by defeating the Colts 16-7. The population density is 4,923.0/km² (12,750.3/mi²). At the time, the AFL was considered to be inferior to the NFL and most people considered the Jets to be heavy underdogs. This encompasses about one-fifth of the entire population of the state of Illinois and 1% of the population of the United States. They were pitted against the "best team in the NFL", the Baltimore Colts. As of the census² of 2000, there are 2,896,016 people, 1,061,928 households, and 632,909 families residing in the city of Chicago proper. Under Namath's guidance, the Jets rose to the top of the AFL and in 1969 represented that league in the Super Bowl.

People living in the Chicago area are called "Chicagoans.". In 1965, the Jets signed Alabama quarterback Joe Namath after the NFL passed on Namath in the amateur draft. Main article: Demographics of Chicago. When a group including Sonny Werblin bought the team from Harry Wismer in 1963, the team was re-named the New York Jets.
. The Jets began as the Titans of New York, a charter member of the American Football League in 1960. Related topics. The team is also being courted by its current landlord, the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority (NJSEA), to remain in the Meadowlands as part of plans to construct a new Giants Stadium.

Today Chicago is considered to be a Prime Accountancy, Advertising and Legal Service Centers by the GaWC. It would also be the site of Super Bowl XLIV. From this were established the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), and the modern systems we use today for futures and commodity trading. The NYSCC West Side Stadium project in NYC, still under consideration, would expected to be the home of the Jets by 2010 if built. Later, people as far away as New York City began buying contracts by telegraph on the goods that would be stored in Chicago in the future. The New York Jets are a National Football League team that plays its home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but is based on Long Island. Grain was stored in Chicago, and people began buying contracts on it. Johnny Johnson.

Massive amounts of goods passed through Chicago from places in the Mississippi Valley such as St. Louis, Missouri. Johnny "Lam" Jones. A number of events led to this, along with Chicago's transportation systems and geographic proximity to the rest of the country. Jeff Lageman. Modern-day futures and commodity trading markets were pioneered in Chicago. Dennis Byrd. As the major meat companies grew in Chicago many, such as Armour, created global enterprises and communicated with divisions spread across the globe via telegraph. Pat Leahy.

Today, we consider industries such as steel, oil, and banking to be the great global market segments, but in the 1860s Chicago's pork and beef industry represented the first global industry. Aaron Glenn. The efficiency of Chicago's meat packing industry and its disassembly plants inspired others such as Henry Ford when he developed Model-T assembly lines. Marvin Jones. More operating months meant hundreds of thousands of new man-hours in which people could work. Kyle Clifton. Before this time, meat production and distribution facilities, otherwise known as disassembly plants, had to shut down in the hot summer months. Wesley Walker.

During the 1860s two factors helped this development: First, the Civil War increased the demand for food products, and Chicago's transportation network ensured that goods could be delivered quickly to soldiers all over the northern United States; second, meat packing plants began to utilize ice. Ken O'Brien. By 1862 Chicago had displaced Cincinnati, Ohio, as "Porkopolis". Lance Mehl. Swift and Philip Armour helped the area to become the largest producer of meat products in the world at the time. Freeman McNeil. Great entrepreneurs such as Gustavus F. Sonny Werblin.

In the 1850s and 1860s Chicago's pork and beef industry exploded. Jim Turner. Carl Sandburg described Chicago as a "stacker of wheat", and some would argue that the grain elevators were Chicago's first skyscrapers. Al Toon. In 1848 Chicago built its first grain elevator, and in 1858 there were twelve grain elevators dotting the skyline. Vinny Testaverde. In the 1840s Chicago became the largest grain port in the world, shipping food from the Mississippi Valley region which was also growing into the largest food-producing region in the world. Bob Talamini.

Additionally, the building of the Illinois and Michigan Canal helped move goods south down the Mississippi River. Matt Snell. With that, many railroads started to be built from Chicago to other parts of the country, further aiding the growth of the city. Mickey Shuler. Situated on the Great Lakes and with so many new people settling the area, Chicago became an ideal location for shipping and receiving goods. George Sauer. Before it was incorporated as a town in 1833 the primary industry was the fur trade. Chicago's early explosive growth led many land speculators and enterprising individuals to the area. Paul Rochester.

In fact Chicago's gross metropolitan product would rank 18th in the world if it were a nation-state at approximately 380 billion dollars. Gerry Philbin. Today Chicago remains the United States' second financial center with the nation's second largest central business district and third largest gross metropolitan product. Babe Parilli. Chicago has been a center for commerce in the United States for most of its modern history. Adrian Murrell. Main article: Economy of Chicago. Erik McMillan.

The coldest temperature ever recorded officially in Chicago is -27°F (-33°C) on January 11, 1982, with unofficial reports of -30°F.
. Wahoo McDaniel. The highest official temperature ever recorded is 105°F (42°C) on July 17, 1995 during the Chicago Heat Wave. Bill Mathis. The highest temperature ever recorded in Chicago is an unofficial 109°F (44°C) on July 24, 1935. Ronnie Lott. For example, in Chicago it has snowed in September (1942), been 90°F (33°C) in March (1982), and had a day where the high and low temperatures differed by more than 65°F (31°C) in one day (February 8, 1900). Mo Lewis.

Chicago has four clearly defined seasons, although in certain years some seasons may overextend their welcome and linger into months they do not traditionally occupy. Joe Klecko. Sudden changes of weather, large daily temperature ranges, and unpredictable precipitation patterns are all staples of Chicago weather. Keyshawn Johnson. Chicago has a climate typical of the Midwest. Winston Hill. Main article: Climate of Chicago. James Hasty.

. Larry Grantham. Related topics. Mark Gastineau. A list of the color aerial views of the urban area of Chicago. Boomer Esiason. Chicago is also recognized around the world for its magnificent skyline, and is globally ranked fourth based on number of buildings and floors.[1] (http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/sk/st/sr/). Verlon Biggs.

The Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) consists of Cook County and five surrounding Illinois counties as well as the Chicago–Gary–Kenosha Consolidated Statistical Area (CSA), which is made up of nine counties, two of them in northwestern Indiana and one in southeastern Wisconsin. Randy Beverly. Connecting the Chicago River with the Des Plaines is the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. 73 Joe Klecko. The city lies beside Lake Michigan and two rivers, the Chicago in Downtown Chicago and the Calumet in the industrial Far South Side, entirely or partially flow through Chicago. 13 Don Maynard. The city has been built on relatively flat land; the average height of land is 579 feet (176 metres) above sea level. 12 Joe Namath.

The total area is 2.94% water. Erik Coleman. Census Bureau, Chicago has a total area of 606.1 km² (234.0 mi²), of which 588.3 km² (227.1 mi²) is land and 17.8 km² (6.9 mi²) is water. John McGraw. According to the U.S. Shaun Ellis. When the city we know today was initially founded in the 1830s the land was swampy and most of the early building began around the mouth of the Chicago River. Justin McCareins.

Chicago is located in northeastern Illinois at the southwestern tip of Lake Michigan. Eric Barton. Main article: Geography of Chicago. Jonathan Vilma.
. Chad Pennington. Related topics. Laveranues Coles.

The city is the county seat of Cook County. Kevin Mawae. The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions. Curtis Martin. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance usually adopted each November. Jay Fiedler. The council enacts local ordinances and approves the city budget. Wayne Chrebet.

The City Council is the legislative branch and is made up of 50 aldermen, one elected from each ward in the city. John Abraham. In addition to the mayor, Chicago's two other citywide elected officials are the clerk and the treasurer. Ronnie Lott. Daley. John Riggins. The current mayor is Richard M. Joe Namath.

The mayor appoints commissioners and other officials who oversee the various departments. Don Maynard. The mayor is the chief executive, elected by general election for a term of four years. Weeb Ewbank. The government of the City of Chicago is divided into executive and legislative branches. Main article: Law and government of Chicago.

Related topics. Today, the Chinatown near 35th and Cermak is a tourist draw, and Devon avenue is a lively Indian neighborhood based on Indians and Pakistanis working as professionals in Chicago. Prior to World War I and the dispersal and persecution of German-Americans consequent on war hysteria, Lincoln Avenue was a major German-speaking area. Lively ethnic neighborhoods have long been a Chicago feature.

In a reversal of the pattern of the 1960s which is an emulation of modern Paris, the very wealthy once again dominate the city center, with new residential housing in the Loop (even the financial district), River North (formerly the Near North Side) and south of the Loop, while the poor have been migrating to the older ring of suburbs of Chicago. At the same time, pathologies remain including homelessness and crime. Chicago's population declines and lack of new construction, characteristic of the town during the 1960s and 1970s, have been reversed by a considerable amount of mostly private investment which make its center today quite lively, with a number of museums, a first rate symphony and opera company, and many live theaters. In August 1968, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was disrupted, at first by peaceful, if noisy, protests and then by what an ex-governor of Illinois characterized as a "police riot" when overworked Chicago police charged demonstrators on Michigan avenue.

On December 2, 1942, the world's first controlled nuclear reaction was conducted at the University of Chicago as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. Instead, the River flowed into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and eventually into the Mississippi River. The Chicago River's direction of flow was reversed in 1900 to prevent sewage from running into Lake Michigan, the city's water source. Today, Chicago remains a town of still-strong unions as a result of a tradition of labor militancy.

The 1880s and 1890s were a time when many Chicagoans made their fortune, but the ordinary person's lot was fairly grim, with poor housing, disease and long hours the norm. Two noted events of this period were the Haymarket Riot, which started in a way that is still under debate and the Pullman Strike of 1894, started when railcar magnate George Pullman turned workers out of their company housing when they were no longer needed. Chicago's resurgence onto the world scene was capped by the World Columbian Exposition (1893 Chicago World's Fair). The first skyscraper was constructed in 1885 using novel steel-skeleton construction. In the following years, Chicago rebuilt itself and its architecture became influential throughout the world.

In 1871, most of the city burned in the Great Chicago Fire. The 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago nominated home-state candidate Abraham Lincoln. In 1855, the level of the city was raised four to seven feet, with individual buildings jacked up and fill brought in to raise streets above the swamp. Chicago also became home to nationwide retailers such as Montgomery Ward and Sears, Roebuck and Company that offered catalog shopping using these connections.

Chicago would go on to become the transportation hub of the United States with its road, rail, and water (and later air) connections. The first rail line to Chicago, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad, was also completed in 1848. The opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848 allowed shipping from the Great Lakes through Chicago to the Mississippi River and so to the Gulf of Mexico. On March 4, 1837, Chicago was granted a city charter by the state.

On August 12, 1833, the Town of Chicago was incorporated with a population of 350. It was destroyed in the Fort Dearborn Massacre during the War of 1812, but was rebuilt in 1816 and remained in use until 1837. In 1803, Fort Dearborn was built. In 1795, the Chicago area was ceded by the Native Americans in the Treaty of Greenville to the United States for use as a military post.

In the 1770s the first non-native settler, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a Haitian of African descent, settled on the banks of the Chicago River. The area now known as Chicago was primarily inhabited by Potawatomis. Main article: History of Chicago. Its unique cuisine, skyscrapers and sports teams are also the most recognized symbols of the city.

Chicago is known for its cultural and ethnic diversity and frontier and political history. With several colloquial nicknames, Chicago is ranked by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network as one of the ten alpha world cities. A former frontier town in existence for over 175 years, Chicago is located in the midwest state of Illinois along the western shores of Lake Michigan. Chicago and Chicagoland, when combined with the greater Milwaukee region, is often considered a megacity or megalopolis with a population that nears approximately 12 million people.

The city itself covers 606.1 km² (234.0 mi²) but when combined with its suburbs and eight collar counties, forming the greater metropolitan area known as Chicagoland, it encompasses more than 5,000 mi² with a population that nears approximately 10 million people. Classified as a world class city, it is the fourth largest in North America and the seventh largest in Western Hemisphere. Chicago, Illinois — officially the City of Chicago and colloquially known as Chicago, the Second City and the Windy City — is the third largest city of the United States after New York City and Los Angeles and is the largest inland city of the nation. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 2,896,016 people.
.

Miller ISBN 0684801949. City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America by Donald L. The Encyclopedia of Chicago (online version) (http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/). The Encyclopedia of Chicago ISBN 0226310159.

City of Chicago Homepage (http://www.cityofchicago.org/). Travel guide to Chicago, Illinois from Wikitravel. Photos of Chicago - Terra Galleria (http://www.terragalleria.com/america/mid-west/illinois/). Spertus Institute - Museum dedicated solely to Judaica.

The Pacific Northwest–themed Oceanarium features dolphins, whales, and other animals from the region, as well as a panoramic view of Lake Michigan. Located on the Museum Campus, the Shedd Aquarium is home to a large collection of marine life from throughout the world. Lake Shore Dr., +1 312-939-2438. Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S.

Museum of Science and Industry. Museum of Holography. Oriental Institute, part of the University of Chicago, one of the best collections of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern archeology in the world. $10 ($6 student, free Tu after 5PM).

Art of all types from around the world made since 1945. Tu 10AM-8PM, W-Su 10AM-5PM. Chicago Ave., +1 312-280-2660. Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E.

$12 ($7 children, seniors and students; Monday and Tuesday are free seasonally). Highlights include the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in the world as well as a great, kids-friendly Egyptian exhibit. Chicago's natural history museum. Every day 9AM-5PM.

Lake Shore Dr., +1 312-922-9410. Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. The ceiling of Preston Bradley Hall includes a 38-foot Tiffany glass dome. Built in 1897 as Chicago's first public library, the building now houses the city's Visitor Information Center, galleries, and exhibit halls.

Except holidays, M-Th 10AM-7PM, F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 11AM-5PM. Washington St. Chicago Cultural Center (Home Page (http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Tourism/CultureCenterTour/)), 78 E. Famous pieces include American Gothic by Grant Wood, and A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat.

Michigan Ave. One of the premier museums in the United States. Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Public Transit Trip Planner (http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/). Chicago Pedway.

Chicago Tunnel Company. Chicago Trolley Company. Route 66. Chicago rail stations.

Chicago Regional Port District. Multilevel streets in Chicago. Streets and highways of Chicago. Mass transit in Chicago.

Airports of Chicago. Chicagoland hospitals. U.S. cities with teams from four major sports. Chicago Wolves.

Chicago Bruisers. Chicago Enforcers. Chicago Rush. Chicago Blitz.

Chicago Motor Speedway. Arlington Park. List of non-fiction about Chicago. List of fiction set in Chicago.

Area code 773. Area code 312. Area codes