Today in Chicago History: ‘Svengoolie' goes national
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on April 2, according to the Tribune's archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
High temperature: 82 degrees (1963)
Low temperature: 18 degrees (1899)
Precipitation: 1.64 inches (1983)
Snowfall: 9.4 inches (1975)
1995: After a 4 ½-hour meeting with Major League Baseball owners at the O'Hare Hilton in Chicago, acting commissioner Bud Selig said a nearly eight-month baseball strike was over. A 144-game season was scheduled to begin April 26.
2009: A federal grand jury indicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on 16 counts, including racketeering, fraud and extortion. Also indicted were his brother, Robert (his charges were later dropped); a close friend and fundraiser, Chris Kelly; his chief of staff, John Harris; and a former chief of staff, Alonzo Monk.
Also in 2009: The Chicago Bears traded quarterback Kyle Orton, plus a first-round pick and a third-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft and a first-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Denver Broncos for quarterback Jay Cutler.
2011: 'Svengoolie' went national. The show was broadcast across the country on Weigel Broadcasting's Me-TV network for the first time.
2019: Lori Lightfoot became the first Black woman and first openly gay person elected mayor of Chicago.
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Potential downpours headed for the Twin Cities
A deluge of rainfall is heading toward the Twin Cities today, adding to what has been a gloomy start to summer. Why it matters: While this might be great for our lawns, gardens and "June gloom" revelers, it's been a downer for those of us who like to soak up the sun. What we're watching: Between this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon, much of the Twin Cities will likely get 1.5 to 2 inches of rain, with some pockets of 4 or more inches, National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Hasenstein told Axios on Wednesday. The NWS is not predicting strong thunderstorms to go along with the rain, but there is a potential for some flooding. State of play: Our start to summer so far: gray, damp, hazy and stinky. It's rained 15 of the last 30 days, according to data from the Midwest Regional Climate Center. Canadian wildfire smoke has triggered five air quality alerts since May 29, including a record for nasty air June 3. We've had just one "clear" day in the past 16, according to the Minnesota DNR. Yes, but: Despite the nearly constant clouds and threats of rain, we're still below average for rainfall in May and June. That's likely to change. Saturday should be mostly dry, but another round of showers and storms is expected Sunday night, Hasenstein said. And the smoke will stick around, bringing unhealthy air quality levels, Sven Sundgaard wrote for MPR's Updraft.
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Air Quality Falters in US Northeast as Temperatures Climb in NYC
Air quality alerts have been posted across the US Northeast, including New York City and Washington, due to Canadian wildfire smoke and soaring temperatures. Air quality was moderate in New York at 7:30 a.m. local time and forecast to deteriorate through Thursday as ground-level ozone, smoke issues and rising temperatures making the situation worse. Central Park is expected to reach 89F (32C) and humidity will make it feel even hotter, the National Weather Service said. New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned residents to prepare for the heat.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
On This Date: One Of America's Deadliest Tornadoes Strikes Wisconsin Town Hosting A Circus
One of America's deadliest tornadoes tore through a Wisconsin town hosting a circus more than 125 years ago. Gollmar Brothers Circus was in New Richmond, Wisconsin, on June 12, 1899, bringing a larger number of people to the town than usual. Before hitting New Richmond, three people were killed by the tornado on farms near Burkhardt and Boardman. The twister then carved a path through the middle of New Richmond just after the circus ended, according to the National Weather Service in Milwaukee. About 300 buildings were damaged or destroyed along a path 3,000 feet long and 1,000 feet wide through New Richmond. Incredibly, a 3,000 pound safe was said to have been carried a full block away. A total of 117 lives were lost in the tornado, making it the 9th deadliest on record in the U.S., according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center Flying debris from the tornado killed many of the 117 people, and 26 separate families had multiple deaths. The NWS says the tornado was easy to spot and that this may have kept the death toll from being even higher. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
