1. On October 24, 1931, the infamous gangster Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion in a Chicago courtroom. Capone would eventually serve his sentence at the infamous Alcatraz prison in California.

2. On October 24, 1945, the United Nations was formally established in San Francisco, California. This historic event had significant impact in Illinois, as the state is home to the headquarters of several UN agencies, including the United Nations Association of the USA.

3. On October 24, 1985, the Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers 23-7 in a landmark game that marked the beginning of the Bears' historic Super Bowl-winning season. The game was played in Chicago's Soldier Field and was attended by over 64,000 fans.

4. On October 24, 1995, the Chicago Bulls played their first game of the 1995-1996 season, which would go on to be one of the most successful seasons in NBA history. With a record of 72-10, the Bulls dominated the league and won their fourth championship in six years.

5. On October 24, 2000, the Chicago Cubs lost a heartbreaking game seven of the National League Championship Series to the New York Mets. This loss marked the team's second defeat in the NLCS in three years and extended the team's infamous World Series drought for yet another year.