Facts about Chicago

1. 08

   Second only to New York City, Chicago is the United States' third-largest city, with a population exceeding 2.6 million people.

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2. 07

   Twenty-three thousand acres of landfill created between 1920 and 1970 expanded Chicago's shoreline by up to one mile in certain areas, forming neighborhoods like Burnham Park and Navy Pier.

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3. 06

   Al Capone's criminal empire generated an estimated 100 million dollars annually during Prohibition, making 1920s Chicago the bootlegging capital of America.

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4. 05

   During the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago attracted 27.5 million visitors to its temporary White City, establishing the city as a major cultural destination.

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5. 04

   Approximately 40,000 workers died during Chicago's meatpacking industry boom in the early 1900s, inspiring Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel The Jungle and federal food safety regulations.

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6. 03

   The Chicago River was reversed in 1900 to flow away from Lake Michigan, preventing sewage contamination of the city's drinking water source.

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7. 02

   Lake Michigan's water level dropped approximately 1.5 feet between 1998 and 2013, affecting Chicago's beaches and shipping industry significantly.

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8. 01

   In 1885, Chicago constructed the first steel-frame skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, revolutionizing urban architecture worldwide.

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