Today in Chicago History: John Belushi's death shocks the city
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
High temperature: 75 degrees (1983)
Low temperature: 0 degrees (1978)
Precipitation: 0.99 inches (1946)
Snowfall: 9.2 inches (2013)
1962: The Robert Taylor Homes — then one of the largest public housing projects in the United States — opened and its first family moved in. The development had 28 high-rises with more than 4,230 units.
But the complex soon caved under devastating poverty and violence. In the end, the Robert Taylor high-rises failed a congressional 'viability test,' which found it was cheaper to house residents elsewhere than to maintain the crumbling high-rise slums.
Demolition of the buildings began in May 1997.
1982: John Belushi was found dead at the Chateau Marmont, a Los Angeles hotel.
A coroner's report later concluded Belushi died of 'acute cocaine and heroin intoxication.'
Cathy Evelyn Smith was sentenced to three years in prison in 1986 for injecting Belushi with a fatal dose of cocaine and heroin. She was released in 1988.
1997: Chicago White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Remembering the Go-Go White Sox
Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Triple-Digit Heat Index Triggers Advisories in Nine States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sweltering and "dangerous" heat with indices surpassing 100 degrees Fahrenheit across parts of nine states has prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue warnings for millions of Americans. Newsweek has reached out to NWS for comment via email on Thursday. Why It Matters Extreme heat is the deadliest weather hazard in the United States, posing serious health risks nationwide. The National Center for Health Statistics found that between 2004 and 2018, an average of 702 people died in the U.S. due to "excess heat." In addition, NWS warns that "heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events." Since 1979, more than 14,000 Americans have died from heat-related causes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Older adults, young children and people with chronic illnesses face the greatest risk from extreme heat. Prolonged heat waves can also strain local power grids as demand for air conditioning spikes. Extreme weather across the U.S. come amid the Trump administration's proposed cuts of nearly 25 percent to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and staffing reductions at NWS. New Yorkers cross 41st Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan during a heatwave on June 25, 2025, in New York City. New Yorkers cross 41st Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan during a heatwave on June 25, 2025, in New York City. CraigWhat To Know The NWS has issued a slew of extreme heat warnings and heat advisories across much of the South and Midwest, as well as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The weather agency warns that "dangerously hot conditions" are expected across portions of the states with some heat index values exceeding over 115 degrees Fahrenheit in Mississippi. Heat index values reflect how hot it feels when both temperature and humidity are factored in. Portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are all under extreme heat warnings and heat advisories. Extreme heat has persistently baked the South and Midwest over the past few weeks, as well as flash flooding. Extreme heat warnings in the region advised people to "not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles," noting that "car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes." Warnings also note that "heat stroke is an emergency" and encourage those who are feeling "overcome by heat" to be moved to a shaded, cool location and call 911. The NWS encourages people to "drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors." In an update on Wednesday, the NWS noted that while the heat isn't necessarily surprising, "when triple digits during the day barely drop to 80 overnight, it becomes extremely dangerous. Extreme and record heat is likely throughout the South through next week with extreme impacts possible for those without adequate cooling or hydration." Heat advisories are in place across dozens of states on Thursday, with NWS in San Antonio, Texas, stating in a Thursday X post: "Today will be the hottest day for many locations in over a month." What People Are Saying Ben Noll, a meteorologist at The Washington Post wrote in a Thursday X post: "Extreme humidity and heat aren't going away — yet. Another surge of corn-effect humidity from Saturday to Wednesday could be even more intense than this past week." In another post he added: "It's not just central states that will feel extreme humidity and heat. The East will too — on Friday in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, before it settles into the Southeast, where there's an extreme risk (Level 4 out of 4) for heat-related impacts into next week." Representative Gabe Amo, a Rhode Island Democrat, said in an X post: "Trump is gutting @NOAA and @NWS while climate change is causing catastrophic extreme weather. @RepHuffman and I introduced my Stop NOAA Closures Act so the President can't close labs predicting storms & leave Americans vulnerable to disasters." What Happens Next The NWS Little Rock, Arkansas forecast warns that "Dangerous heat index values will persist through next week and perhaps longer as high pressure prevails over the mid south."
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Tracking heat: Here's where it will feel like 110 degrees
Extreme temperatures Climate changeFacebookTweetLink Follow Dangerous heat is peaking today for millions in the central United States as a heat dome in summer's hottest month lives up to its reputation — but sauna-like conditions are only just beginning for areas farther east. The heat index — how hot it actually feels given the temperature and humidity — will top out in the 100s from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest Thursday afternoon while it soars above 110 degrees in some parts of the Mississippi Valley. Memphis, Tennessee, had its hottest day of the year so far on Wednesday with a high of 97 degrees and a heat index of at least 106 degrees. The city could match that intense heat Thursday while just south in Greenville, Mississippi, the heat index could hit 110 degrees. Farther north, Chicago's high temperature of 94 degrees could come within a degree of its hottest day so far this year. That same roasting summer heat started creeping into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Thursday. High temperatures in the 90s are likely Thursday afternoon as far north as Burlington, Vermont – located about 30 miles from the Canadian border. The worst heat for the East arrives Friday with high temperatures in the middle to upper 90s expected from Washington, DC, to Boston. These temperatures are up to 10 degrees higher than the typical hottest conditions for this time of year and could challenge the high temperature record for the day in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City. The heat index will reach or surpass 100 degrees for many major metros: Washington, DC, and Philadelphia will feel more like 105 degrees Friday afternoon and Baltimore will feel nearly 110 degrees at times. Heat remains the deadliest form of extreme weather in the US. Globally, heat waves are becoming more frequent, more severe and lasting longer as the world warms due to fossil fuel-driven climate change. More than 60 million people in the eastern half of the US are under at least a Level 3 of 4 'major' heat risk on Thursday, with that total jumping to more than 90 million on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Heat this severe impacts anyone without access to effective cooling or proper hydration, not just vulnerable populations, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And for those without air conditioning, staying indoors can become deadly during the hottest parts of the day, the agency warns. Humid conditions will also prevent temperatures from cooling significantly overnight. It could still be close to 80 degrees in Washington, DC, by sunrise Saturday — nearly 10 degrees higher than a typical low for late July. When overnight temperatures don't cool down enough to offer relief for overheated bodies, people are at greater risk for heat-related illnesses. Nighttime temperatures are taking the hardest hit from climate change, warming faster than daytime highs. Climate change is making this week's heat wave at least three times more likely for nearly 160 million people, almost half the US population, when compared with a world without fossil fuel emissions, according to an analysis from the climate research nonprofit Climate Central. The heat dome will shrink Saturday, replaced by more typical, though still very toasty, late July conditions parts of the Northeast and Midwest. Sweltering heat will persist through the weekend, mainly in southern parts of the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic on Saturday and in portions of the Southeast Sunday. That general trend of a hotter-than-normal South is expected to continue through next week, according to the latest Climate Prediction Center forecasts. CNN Meteorologist Briana Waxman and CNN's Luke Snyder contributed to this report.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Americans in 5 States Urged to Keep Windows Shut
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Air quality alerts were in effect across parts of five states on Thursday, with the National Weather Service (NWS), in coordination with regional agencies, advising residents to take steps to reduce the impacts of air pollution. Why It Matters The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that exposure to ozone may irritate the respiratory tract, cause airway inflammation, and aggravate existing conditions such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. Regarding particle pollution, the EPA states that studies have linked exposure to a range of health effects, including respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing, the development of asthma, and increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. Experts recommend keeping windows and doors closed during periods of low air quality. What To Know As of Thursday morning, air quality alerts were in effect for Minnesota, Ohio, Connecticut, Colorado, and Wisconsin. In Minnesota, an air quality alert was issued due to fine particle pollution. Smoke from wildfires in Canada's Saskatchewan and Manitoba regions was expected to reach southwestern, northeastern, and central parts of the state on Thursday after covering the northwest the day prior, officials said. "Some uncertainty remains regarding how far south the ground-level smoke will reach by Friday morning, when winds are expected to become southerly and push the smoke back to the north. Air quality should improve gradually from south to north beginning Friday afternoon, with improvement in fine particle levels below the alert threshold expected by the end of Friday," read the alert. Residents were advised to keep their windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from entering their homes. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, an air quality alert was issued for the northwestern part of the state, also due to wildfire smoke originating from Canada. In Connecticut, an air quality action day was announced for Hartford and northern Fairfield, New Haven, and Middlesex Counties. "An Air Quality Action Day means that Ground Level Ozone concentrations within the region may approach or exceed unhealthy standards," the alert said. In Ohio, An Air Quality Advisory for ground-level ozone was issued by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency for Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties. It was in force until midnight Thursday night. "Air quality levels will be unhealthy for sensitive groups during this period," read the alert. Locals were advised to drive less and use alternative modes of transportation, such as public transit and biking, if possible, to help reduce regional air pollution. Additionally, Colorado's Mesa County had been issued an air quality advisory due to smoke from "both in-state and out-of-state wildfires. According to a live map from the non-profit Watch Duty, the Turner Gulch fire in the county had burned over 17,000 acres and was at 41 percent containment at the time of writing. What People Are Saying AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham previously told Newsweek: "Ozone is a secondary pollutant, meaning it's not emitted directly from sources, but is formed through chemical reactions. These reactions require sunlight and higher temperatures, making warmer months more prone to ozone formation. When air is stagnant, pollutants don't get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels." What Happens Next The NWS issues regular forecasts on its website and social media channels.
