Today in Chicago History: Ownership of Sears Tower handed to its lender
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
1915: 'Jazz' was used in the Tribune to describe music for one of the first times in history.
2003: Sears Tower was transferred to its lender (Metlife Inc.) to prevent the skyscraper's owner (Trizec) from defaulting on its massive mortgage.
Anxiety over a possible terrorist attack on the world's then second-tallest building dramatically reduced the attractiveness of the 110-story tower at 233 S. Wacker Drive to some existing tenants and many prospective ones.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: History of Tower built by Sears reflects highs and lows of city's business hubReal estate magnate Joseph Chetrit, developer Joseph Moinian and Skokie-based American Landmark Properties bought the tower for $840 million in 2004. Blackstone Group purchased it in 2015. Sears gave up ownership of its namesake tower in November 1994.
Though it remains popularly known by its maiden name, it was officially renamed Willis Tower for a London-based insurance brokerage in 2009.
2011: Up to 75 mph winds ripped down power lines, tossed trees onto roads and railroad tracks and forced businesses to close for the day. During the storm's peak, it was estimated 868,000 ComEd customers were without power — more than in any storm in at least the previous decade. Despite the winds, the storm brought little rain.
'It almost sounded like a hurricane': Derecho weather events in the Chicago area since 1965One Union Pacific North line train was stuck for hours on the tracks after tree limbs and fallen power lines blocked it. It was scheduled to arrive at Ogilvie Transportation Center at 9:05 a.m., but didn't arrive until about 2 p.m.
Several Cook County jail inmates and a Cook County sheriff's deputy were injured while dismantling a festival tent as part of a community service project in Palos Hills, but not seriously.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Today in Chicago History: Strike suspends service on railroads, street cars and elevated lines
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Aug. 1, 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: 100 degrees (1988) Low temperature: 51 degrees (1990) Precipitation: 2.55 inches (1961) Snowfall: Trace (2003) 1922: More than 20,000 employees walked off the job starting at 4 a.m. and joined another 400,000 railroad workers as part of the Great Railroad Strike, which suspended service on all Chicago street car lines and elevated trains. Vintage Chicago Tribune: In 1922, 400,000 railroad workers walked off the job 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@ and mmather@ Solve the daily Crossword
Hamilton Spectator
9 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Tropical Storm Gil is expected to become a hurricane in the eastern Pacific but won't threaten land
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Gil was expected to become a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday but wasn't expected to threaten land, forecasters said. The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm is about 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) southwest of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico. Gil had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph). There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect. The storm is expected to keep traveling to the west-northwest in the coming days, as well as speed up as it crosses over the ocean. Gil was strengthening during a busy period for storms in the eastern Pacific. Tropical Storm Iona is churning westward in the ocean, about 1,190 miles (1,915 kilometers) west-southwest of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It was earlier a hurricane but has since weakened. It isn't threatening land. And other storms could develop in the coming days in the eastern Pacific, forecasters said.
10 hours ago
Tropical Storm Gil expected to become a hurricane in the eastern Pacific but won't threaten land
MEXICO CITY -- Tropical Storm Gil was expected to become a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday but wasn't expected to threaten land, forecasters said. The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm is about 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) southwest of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico. Gil had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph). There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect. The storm is expected to keep traveling to the west-northwest in the coming days, as well as speed up as it crosses over the ocean. Gil is strengthening during a busy period for storms in the eastern Pacific. Tropical Storm Iona is churning westward in the ocean, about 1,190 miles (1,915 kilometers) west-southwest of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It was earlier a hurricane but has since weakened. It isn't threatening land.
