1. In 1782, Chief Pontiac was assassinated in Illinois. He was a Native American leader who fought against British colonization, and his legacy is celebrated by many Native American tribes in the Midwest.

2. The Illinois State Fair opened on August 7, 1855, and it has been held annually ever since (with the exception of a few years during World War II). It is one of the largest state fairs in the United States, attracting over 500,000 visitors each year.

3. On August 7, 1899, the first automobile race in Illinois took place in Chicago. The race covered a distance of 54 miles, and the winner had an average speed of 24 miles per hour.

4. In 1959, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site was established in Springfield, Illinois. It preserves the former home of President Abraham Lincoln, which he lived in from 1844 until he was elected president in 1860.

5. On August 7, 2018, J.B. Pritzker won the democratic nomination for Governor of Illinois, defeating incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner. Pritzker would go on to win the general election in November of that year and is currently serving as the 43rd governor of Illinois.