1. In 1816, the first white settler arrived in what is now Chicago. His name was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, and he established a trading post on the banks of the Chicago River.

2. On August 24, 1915, the SS Eastland, a passenger ship chartered by Western Electric Company, overturned in the Chicago River, killing 844 people. It is considered one of the worst maritime disasters in American history.

3. On August 24, 1968, the Democratic National Convention began in Chicago. The convention was marked by protests and clashes between protesters and police, and is remembered as a turning point in the anti-war movement.

4. In 1989, the Interstate 55 bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Louis was closed due to structural damage. The closure caused traffic backups and highlighted the need for infrastructure improvements in the United States.

5. On August 24, 2016, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The law, which took effect in 2017, reduced penalties for possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana to a civil offense punishable by a fine instead of a criminal offense punishable by jail time.