Although known as 'The Windy City', the actual winds experienced in Chicago are not particularly noteworthy. The name derives from city promoters, who travelled the East coast in the late 1800s claiming Chicago to be an excellent place to invest.

Cynics replied that they were full of wind, and the rest is history.
'In most places in the country, voting is looked upon as a right and a duty, but in Chicago it's a sport,' said Dick Gregory. In 1865, Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment and abolish slavery.