Learn About Chicago History

Summary
Resources

For a quick introduction to Chicago history, read Wikipedia's History of Chicago and then browse their Timeline History of Chicago.

If you'd like to learn more about Chicago's history, check out these resources.

Online

Chicago: The Great Central Market (1923 Directory) Chicago History (City of Chicago)
Chicago History Timeline (Chicago Public Library
Encyclopedia of Chicago (Chicago History Museum)
From the Archives (Chicago Tribune)
History of Chicago (Wikipedia)

In Print

A search for "chicago history" on worldcat.org narrowed to print books published in English yields more than 1000 results for 2016 alone, ranging from general works to very specific topics such as sports and theater.

Rather than suggest specific titles, we suggest this: try your own search! And, if you find a well-written work that others might enjoy, send us an email and we'll list it here.

FAQ

When was Chicago incorporated?

1833.

What are some important Chicago events?

1833 - Incorporation

1871 - The Chicago Fire

1893 - The World's Columbian Exposition

1903 - Iroquois Theater Fire

1915 - Eastland Disaster

1929 - Valentine's Day Massacre

1933 - Century of Progress World's Fair

And the list goes on! Check out Timeline History of Chicago to see more.