Revisiting Queen Elizabeth II's Sole Visit to Chicago
In honor of Queen Elizabeth II, revisit the festivities (and some dental drama) of her lone trip to Chicago, in 1959, as part of a tour of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Canada.
The Top-Secret Army Unit of Artists Who Deceived German Troops in World War II
An ongoing exhibition at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie tells the story of how a unit of artists, engineers, and other soldiers deceived German troops using inflatable tanks, weaponry, phony radio calls, and other artistic effects.
Revisiting Some of Chicago's Lost Amusement Parks
Geoffrey Baer takes a tour of some lost amusement parks that entertained Chicagoans, including his father, who loved Riverview, and himself—he was fond of the Kiddieland in Skokie. Do you have any fond memories of another park?
How to Watch the January 6 Hearings
Watch PBS NewsHour's live coverage of public hearings laying out lawmakers' findings from a nearly yearlong investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which begin on Thursday, June 9.
How Czechs Have Shaped Chicago's History
At the turn of the twentieth century, Chicago had the third-largest Czech population in the world, behind only Prague and Vienna. Czechs were deeply involved in the labor movement, politics, and more, as the producers of a new documentary on Czechs in Chicago explain.
A Q&A with the Producer of a New Jane Byrne 'Chicago Stories'
Jane Byrne was the first woman to be elected Mayor of Chicago and the first woman to lead a mayor U.S. city. A new Chicago Stories documentary follow's Byrne's rise to power and tenure as mayor.
The Extraordinary Achievements of the First Black Residents of Rogers Park
The Pollard family contained the NFL's first Black head coach, the first Black licensend nurse in Illinois, a producer of silent films, the first Black woman graduate of Northwestern University, a Civil War veteran, and the winner of an Olympic medal.
From the Archive: Sidney Poitier
The trailblazing actor and director Sidney Poitier, star of A Raisin in the Sun, The Defiant Ones, and other films, has died at the age of 94. Listen to two interviews with him conducted decades apart by Studs Terkel.
Test Your Knowledge of This Year’s Local News with Our 2021 News Quiz
Did we all hope 2021 would be a calmer news year than 2020? Probably. Was it? Most definitely not. Test your knowledge of Chicago’s top news stories –– from the essential stories, to the bizarre ones –– with our year-in-review news quiz.
Geoffrey Baer's Favorite Uses of Chicago in Film
Chicago has become a major hub for film and television production in the past decade, but the city has been an important part of the film industry almost since the birth of movies. Here are some of Geoffrey Baer's favorite uses of Chicago in films.
'Home from School' Tells One Story of Indian Boarding Schools in Order to Heal
The new documentary Home from School tells the story of the Northern Arapaho's efforts to repatriate the remains of three children who died at an assimilationist boarding school more than a century ago. “This film talks about closing those cycles [of generational trauma]," says an associate producer.
Searching for the "Enigmatic Hero" of the Cherokee Language, Sequoyah
A new documentary explores the legacy and mysterious life of Sequoyah, who created the Cherokee writing system despite being illiterate in any other language. The team behind the film discusses its importance to them as Native scholars and filmmakers.
Tracing Muhammad Ali's Memory in Chicago - A Photo Essay
Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville and attained global fame, but Chicago played an important role in the boxing legend’s life. Discover some of the locations that marked Ali's remarkable life during his time in Chicago.
Chicago, Chicago, That Boxing Town
Three of the most famous world heavyweight champions—most famous athletes in general—have lived in and had some of their most formative experiences and bouts in Chicago, a city that has also always been a stepping stone for amateur boxers.
Chicago's Significance to the "Greatest of All Time" - An Interview with Ali's Biographer Jonathan Eig
"Muhammad Ali lived here for some of the most important years of his career," says his biographer Jonathan Eig. "Chicago was really where he began to find a national stage and to realize that he could be special." Plus, he had his "racial awakening" here.
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