Ever sat through a painful first date? If only you had some fun facts to break the ice and fill in all those awkward silences. What date wouldn’t be impressed with your impressive knowledge of Chicago?
1. In order to prevent waterborne diseases and the contamination of drinking water, a system of canals was built to make the Chicago River flow backwards. Today, it’s the only river that does so.
2. The name Chicago is derived from the word “Chicagou” or “Shikaakwa,” which is Algonquin for “onion field” or “wild garlic.”
3. The Twinkie, America’s favorite “Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling,” was invented on April 6, 1920, by James Alexander Dewar, a baker for the Continental Baking Company in Schiller Park, Illinois.
4. The first gay rights group in the United States was created in Chicago in 1924.
5. From the top of the Willis Tower, visitors can see four states — Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Photo via Charlotte Morrall (CC BY 2.0)
