1. The first Illinois Constitution was adopted on September 22, 1818, making Illinois the 21st state of the United States. This event marked the end of Illinois' territorial status and the beginning of its statehood.

2. One of the deadliest train crashes in US history occurred on September 22, 1903, near the town of Kinmundy in southern Illinois. The crash involved five trains and killed 34 people, with more than 100 others injured.

3. On September 22, 1950, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign became the first university in the world to create a computer-based student information system. The system, called the Illiac I, was built by a team of engineers and scientists led by John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert.

4. Illinois native and famous science fiction author Ray Bradbury was born on September 22, 1920, in Waukegan, Illinois. Bradbury is the author of many beloved sci-fi novels, including "Fahrenheit 451" and "The Martian Chronicles."

5. On September 22, 1985, the first Farm Aid concert was held in Champaign, Illinois. The benefit concert, organized by musicians Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp, raised money to support family farmers in the United States who were struggling due to economic pressures. The event has since become an annual tradition, raising millions of dollars for farmers in need.