1. On December 8, 1835, the first issue of the Chicago Whig, a newspaper, was published in Illinois. The paper would later merge with another newspaper to form the Chicago Tribune.

2. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring December 8 as a national day of thanksgiving and prayer in the midst of the Civil War. This became an annual tradition until it was moved to the fourth Thursday in November in 1941.

3. On December 8, 1914, the National WCTU (Woman's Christian Temperance Union) endorsed the idea of women suffrage (the right to vote) and adopted it as one of its goals. This led to women in Illinois gaining the right to vote in presidential elections in 1913, and nationwide in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment.

4. December 8, 1941 was the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Illinois, like the rest of the country, was plunged into World War II. Many Illinoisans served in the military and contributed to the war effort as a result.

5. In 2018, on December 8, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced that it would offer a special entry to American runners who achieve a specific time in a qualifying race. This decision was made in an effort to increase American participation in the marathon.