1. Juneteenth becomes an Illinois state holiday: On June 19, 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law making Juneteenth a state holiday in Illinois. The holiday celebrates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas were finally granted their freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

2. The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup: On June 19, 2013, the Chicago Blackhawks won their second Stanley Cup in four years by defeating the Boston Bruins in six games. The Blackhawks would go on to win two more championships in 2015 and 2021.

3. Death of Charles W. Fairbanks: On June 19, 1918, former Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks passed away in his home in Indianapolis. Fairbanks served as vice president under Theodore Roosevelt from 1905 to 1909 and was a prominent Republican leader in Illinois.

4. Illinois raises tobacco tax: On June 19, 2012, Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill into law raising the state's cigarette tax by $1 per pack. The increase was expected to generate an additional $350 million per year in revenue and help discourage smoking.

5. Founding of Wheaton College: On June 19, 1860, Wheaton College was founded in Wheaton, Illinois by Jonathan Blanchard, a prominent abolitionist and minister. The college remains one of the top-ranked Christian liberal arts colleges in the country.