logo
Today in Chicago History: Special Olympics debuts at Soldier Field

Today in Chicago History: Special Olympics debuts at Soldier Field

Chicago Tribune20-07-2025
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on July 20, according to the Tribune's archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Flashback: Apollo 11's voyage to the moon kept Chicagoans spellbound in a time of tumultWeather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
1924: Sybil Bauer, a Chicago native and Northwestern sophomore, won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Her time was a world-record 1:23.20 seconds.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Summer Olympians from the area who won goldBauer didn't start competing in events until she was a teenager at Schurz High School. Soon thereafter, however, she became the first great female swimmer of the backstroke. Bauer set 23 world records — holding at one point all existing records for women in backstroke from 50 to 440 yards, according to the International Swimming Hall of Fame — and won six consecutive AAU 100-yard backstroke championships, according to the Olympic Games.
Her greatest feat may have taken place in Bermuda on Oct. 8, 1922, when Bauer became the first woman to beat a world record held by a man. She completed a 440-yard backstroke race in 6 minutes, 24 seconds — almost four seconds faster than the old record held by Harold Krueger of Honolulu.
She was engaged to Edward Sullivan, then sports editor of the New York Evening Graphic and future television show host, but was stricken with cancer and died in 1927. Bauer was just 23 years old.
Also in 1924: Johnny Weissmuller — the Austrian born, Chicago raised future 'Tarzan' actor — won gold at the Paris Olympics in swimming. He won five gold medals in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games.
1944: In a speech broadcast to the delegates inside Chicago Stadium from a train car at a naval base on the Pacific Ocean, President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the nomination for a fourth term during the Democratic National Convention at Chicago Stadium. Roosevelt was en route to Hawaii to join military brass debating strategies for the Pacific theater during World War II.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Tradition of acceptance speeches at political conventions began in Chicago'You in this convention are aware of what I have sought to gain for the nation, and you have asked me to continue,' FDR said in accepting its nomination.
Roosevelt was reelected Nov. 7, 1944, but died April 12, 1945.
1968: About 1,000 children with intellectual disabilities ranging in age from 8 to 18 competed in the first Special Olympics, which took place at Soldier Field.
Responding to a written proposal from Chicago Park District employee Anne Burke, a $25,000 check from the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation was forwarded here to help start the games, courtesy of the foundation's executive vice president, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: The first Special Olympics at Soldier Field — 55 years agoThe initial one-day outing included participants from more than 20 states and Canada. Admission was free, but with little publicity and a basic lack of understanding, not many showed up besides friends and relatives of the youngsters.
Still, the spirit was the same as if the stadium was packed, and the event was considered a huge success by those in attendance.
1992: Jeff Erickson escaped from the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. The con man was convicted of robbing a string of Chicago-area banks with his wife, Jill Erickson.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Jailbreak!!!When the Hanover Park duo was caught in 1991, she was mortally wounded in a chase with FBI officers and he was arrested and taken to the Metropolitan Correctional Center. But as he was being led from the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on July 20, 1992, Erickson uncuffed his hands with a handcuff key, disarmed a guard and fatally shot Deputy U.S. Marshal Roy 'Bill' Frakes and court security Officer Harry Belluomini, a retired Chicago police officer.
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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia's Egorian wins world fencing gold as neutral athlete
Russia's Egorian wins world fencing gold as neutral athlete

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Russia's Egorian wins world fencing gold as neutral athlete

Russia's two-time Olympic sabre champion Yana Egorian, competing under a neutral banner, was on Sunday crowned fencing world champion amid protests in Tbilisi. Egorian defeated Poland's Zuzanna Cieslar 15-11 in the final in the Georgian capital. The 31-year-old, who won both the individual and team titles at the 2016 Rio Olympics, won her first world championship individual gold medal. Egorian is among the Russian and Belarusian fencers allowed to compete under a neutral banner, despite being a member of CSKA Moscow, a club historically linked to the Russian military. On Sunday, dozens of demonstrators gathered in front of the Olympic Palace in Tbilisi to protest at the participation of fencers from both countries, some of whom "are military personnel", protesters told the Interpressnews agency. In July, the International Fencing Federation (IFF) decided to simplify its procedure for granting Neutral Individual Athlete (NIA) status, allowing the return of certain fencers who had been excluded from competition following the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive. That decision sparked debate both before and during the world championships. In the other final of the day, Japan's Koki Kano, Olympic epee champion in Paris, won the title, defeating Hungary's Gergely Siklosi. lve/jde/ea/gj

Summer McIntosh wins first gold medal at worlds in her quest for five
Summer McIntosh wins first gold medal at worlds in her quest for five

NBC News

time3 hours ago

  • NBC News

Summer McIntosh wins first gold medal at worlds in her quest for five

SINGAPORE — For Summer McIntosh of Canada, it's one gold medal won at the swimming world championships with four to go. McIntosh is aiming to win five gold medals in individual events at the worlds in Singapore, and the first one came Sunday in the 400-meter freestyle on the first of eight days in the pool. Only legendary American Michael Phelps has ever won five individual medals in the worlds. He also did it at the Olympics. McIntosh won but did not break her own world record, winning in 3 minutes, 56.26 seconds. Li Bingjie of China took silver (3:58.21) with a late charge to leave American Katie Ledecky (3:58.49) with bronze. A year ago in the Olympics, Ledecky also took bronze in the 400. McIntosh was the silver medalist with gold for Australian Ariarne Titmus of Australia. Titmus is taking a year off and did not swim and has since lost her world record in the event to McIntosh. For Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, it was her 27th medal in the world championships in an astonishing career. She won her first Olympic gold in 2012 in London, and then started adding world championship medals beginning in Barcelona in 2013. About 25 minutes after winning the 400, McIntosh came back and qualified first in the 200 individual medley, clocking 2:07.39. American Alex Walsh was second in 2:08.49. That final is Monday. "I've never done a double like that," McIntosh said. "I think the 400 free, at past world championships and Olympics, I haven't been at my best. And I haven't been where I wanted to be. So, to finally stand in the center of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet." The Canadian added: I think I'm at my best. I'm in the best shape of my life. So now I just have to act on that and put it into all my races." The shock of the first day might have been Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi, who was the seventh fastest in qualifying and will swim in the final. Asked her reaction, she replied: "Oh, I'm in," unaware she had advanced. "I will continue to work harder," she added. "I hope to find a breakthrough at these world championships and show my potential." Asked for her reaction to the competition, she added. "You can feel it's quite intense. I try not to think so much and just give it my all." The 200 IM might not even be her best event with the Chinese likely quicker in the 400 IM and the 200 butterfly. Meanwhile, the United States is swimming with what appears to be a weakened team after officials acknowledged Sunday that some members of the team had come down with "acute gastroenteritis" at a training camp in Thailand prior to arriving in Singapore. Nikki Warner, a spokeswoman for USA Swimming, would not say how many fell ill in Thailand. She cited health confidentiality rules. She said all American swimmers had traveled to Singapore. In the other early individual final Sunday, Lukas Martens of Germany won the men's 400 free in 3:42.35, edging Sam Short of Australia who was .02 behind. Bronze went to Kim Woomin of South Korea in 3:42.60. Martens is the defending Olympic champion and also holds the world record of 3:39.96. McIntosh, who won three gold medals a year ago at the Paris Olympics, holds the world record in the 400 free — 3:54.18. She will face off again with Ledecky in the 800 free later in the meet, probably the most anticipated race in Singapore. Though she holds the 400 free world record, McIntosh had failed to win gold in the event in the Olympics or previous world championships. McIntosh will also be after gold in the 200- and 400-individual medleys, and the 200 butterfly. The other two gold medals Sunday were in the relays. The United States was the favorite in both and failed to win either. The Australian women took gold just ahead of the United States in the 4x100 freestyle relay. The Aussies clocked 3:30.60 with 3:31.04 for the US. The Netherlands took bronze in 3:33.89. On the men's side in the 4x100, Australia also took gold in 3:08.97. Italy took silver in 3:09.58 with bronze for the United States in 3:09.64. There were three other semifinal results on Sunday. Qin Haiyang of China took the 200 breaststroke in 58.24 with Paris Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi second in 58.62. The Italian was initially disqualified for moving on the blocks, but was later reinstated on appeal. Gretchen Walsh of the United States and Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium tied in the 100 butterfly in 56.07, and Maxime Grousset of France took the men's 50 fly in 22.61.

Tour de France finale brings excitement to Montmartre with a climb to Sacré-Coeur
Tour de France finale brings excitement to Montmartre with a climb to Sacré-Coeur

San Francisco Chronicle​

time6 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Tour de France finale brings excitement to Montmartre with a climb to Sacré-Coeur

Hours before the Tour de France peloton was due to pass through Montmartre on Sunday, thousands of fans packed the streets, eager to claim a prime spot to watch riders climb the iconic hill during the final stage of the race. The Tour is breaking with tradition this year as organizers look to build on the popular success of the Paris Olympic road race. During last year's Olympics, massive crowds lined the streets of Montmartre — a neighborhood in northern Paris famous for its artistic heritage and sweeping city views — to cheer on riders. Inspired by the frenetic atmosphere, Tour organizers decided to include the Montmartre climb in this summer's route. Riders will ascend the hill and pass beneath the Sacré-Coeur basilica before heading to the finish on the Champs-Élysées. Spectators began arriving early Sunday on the cobbled Rue Lepic, well before race leader Tadej Pogačar and his rivals were expected to tackle the steep ascent. Fans also filled the stairs beneath the Sacré-Coeur to ensure they didn't miss a moment of the action. Riders will also pass the Moulin Rouge before climbing to the Butte Montmartre. To mark the occasion, dancers in tricolor costumes will perform a French Cancan outside the cabaret. Traditionally, the final stage is largely processional until a sprint decides the day's winner on the Champs-Elysées. On Sunday, the final climb comes less than 7km from the finish, making it unlikely that many sprinters will contend for the stage win. During the Olympics, the road races drew more than 500,000 spectators in Paris. Last year's Tour concluded outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a scheduling conflict with the Olympics, with the final stage held in Nice. The Champs-Élysées returned this year for the conclusion of the 3,320-kilometer (2,060-mile) race. ___

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store