1. In 1811, the first White settler of Chicago, Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable, was arrested and imprisoned in St. Charles on December 16.

2. On December 16, 1835, the Great Fire of Chicago burned almost all of the city’s business district, which was later rebuilt using the latest fireproof materials and techniques.

3. During the Civil War, on December 16, 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest captured and destroyed a Union supply depot in Johnsonville, Tennessee, causing severe damage to the Union Army's efforts.

4. In 1960, on December 16, the first rotary phone was introduced to the public, a device that would become ubiquitous in American households for decades to come.

5. Another notable event in Illinois history that occurred on December 16, 1972, was the opening of the Sears Tower (now known as Willis Tower) in Chicago, at the time the tallest building in the world.