Right around this time of year, we are thinking about the things we are thankful about, mostly the important people in our lives, health, and prosperity. But a lot of things that make our lives better were invented right here in Illinois. Here are some reasons we should be thankful for Illinois.
- Brownies
jeffreyw/Flickr Brownies are absolutely delicious. Did you know they were actually first developed at the Palmer House Hotel?
- Zippers
Clare Bell/Flickr No one pays zippers much mind, but think if you had to button every single thing. Zippers are under-appreciated but awesome.
- Museums
Jamie McCaffrey/Flickr The Columbian Exposition inspired Chicago to build tons of museums to show off to the world. Since the end of the 19th century, Illinois has been a tourist destination for first-class museums.
- The dishwasher
andrea castelli/Flickr Leave it to a wealthy socialite tired of the time required to wash dishes to invent the first mechanical dishwasher. I hate washing dishes by hand, so I am quite thankful.
- The vacuum
Wiliam Clifford/Flickr Vacuuming is not the most pleasant chore, but what did we do before it? It might surprise you that the vacuum was invented way back in 1868.
- Farmers
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr They feed you people. Yeah, you. They work incredibly hard, long hours and we should be incredibly grateful for them.
- Cell phones
Karlis Dambrans/Flickr Who could live without cell phones? I know I couldn’t. Thank goodness for Martin Cooper, inventor.
- Funny people
Gage Skidmore/Flickr Some of the funniest people in Hollywood today launched their careers in or spent a significant amount of time in Illinois, specifically at Second City or in comedy clubs in town.
- Sports Drama
Keith Allison/Flickr Our teams are either dominating or there is some serious drama, whether it’s Derrick Rose being hurt or Cutler getting a huge contract. We entertain the rest of you guys.
- Dentistry
Wolkenkratzer/Flickr Who likes going to the dentist? No one. But you like keeping your teeth, right? Then be thankful that dentistry was launched in Illinois.
- Deep dish pizza
Ernesto Andrade/Flickr Deep dish pizza is cheesy goodness, and it is truly Chicago-style. You’re welcome, world.
Sure, there are good and bad things in all states, but Illinois has contributed more than its fair share to society.
jeffreyw/Flickr
Brownies are absolutely delicious. Did you know they were actually first developed at the Palmer House Hotel?
Clare Bell/Flickr
No one pays zippers much mind, but think if you had to button every single thing. Zippers are under-appreciated but awesome.
Jamie McCaffrey/Flickr
The Columbian Exposition inspired Chicago to build tons of museums to show off to the world. Since the end of the 19th century, Illinois has been a tourist destination for first-class museums.
andrea castelli/Flickr
Leave it to a wealthy socialite tired of the time required to wash dishes to invent the first mechanical dishwasher. I hate washing dishes by hand, so I am quite thankful.
Wiliam Clifford/Flickr
Vacuuming is not the most pleasant chore, but what did we do before it? It might surprise you that the vacuum was invented way back in 1868.
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
They feed you people. Yeah, you. They work incredibly hard, long hours and we should be incredibly grateful for them.
Karlis Dambrans/Flickr
Who could live without cell phones? I know I couldn’t. Thank goodness for Martin Cooper, inventor.
Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Some of the funniest people in Hollywood today launched their careers in or spent a significant amount of time in Illinois, specifically at Second City or in comedy clubs in town.
Keith Allison/Flickr
Our teams are either dominating or there is some serious drama, whether it’s Derrick Rose being hurt or Cutler getting a huge contract. We entertain the rest of you guys.
Wolkenkratzer/Flickr
Who likes going to the dentist? No one. But you like keeping your teeth, right? Then be thankful that dentistry was launched in Illinois.
Ernesto Andrade/Flickr
Deep dish pizza is cheesy goodness, and it is truly Chicago-style. You’re welcome, world.
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