200 Years of Illinois

G1x5: Illinois, USA
Illinois ranks fifth in GDP among USA states, and is positioned at the 1×5 slot within the G8x8. In 2016, it achieved a GDP of 791.6 billion $ and a share of 4.3 percent of the national total. Its GDP was slightly lower than that of Turkey and higher than the Netherlands.

Illinois became the 21st state of the United States of America on 3 December 1818. Governor Bruce Rauner authorized by executive order a year-long celebration to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the event, with a multimedia campain at its center. Motto: Every day in Illinois, amazing things are being born, built and grown. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the celebration by visiting the website www.illinois200.com. Partners, event and project managers planning and implementing activities between 3 December 2017 and 3 December 2018 are encouraged to be endorsed as official parts of the Illinois Bicentennial.

Points of Pride

The twitter hashtag #IllinoisProud lists reasons for citizens to be proud:

  • Illinois is where the nation’s greatest rivers meet (Illinois and Mississippi rivers).
  • It’s where the largest Native American city once thrived.
  • Where the most trains cross and daily flights soar.
  • Where automobiles and hard roads got a start.
  • Where sound movies began.
  • Where a nuclear chain reaction was first controlled.
  • Where the first transistor gave rise to the computer age.
  • Where the theory of superconductivity was born.
  • Where the biggest fair in the nation’s history was held.
  • Where the mail-order catalog and the warehouse of goods behind it got its start.
  • Where the Blues echo and comedy is king.
  • Where more than a quarter million men volunteered to fight to end slavery and save the Union.
  • Where the nation’s biggest plant helped make the world safe for democracy.
  • Where the biggest restaurant company, biggest makers of mining equipment, aircraft, and tractors are based and where hundreds of start-up companies each year keep the engine humming.

Image source: Visit Alton, information source: www.illinois200.com

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