•     Chicago is the third largest American city. It is in the state of Illinois on Lake Michigan. It was founded in the 1830s and quickly became the transportation, financial and industrial centre of the American Middle West.

•     The world's first skyscrapers appeared in Chicago. They were built after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The fire lasted 27 hours and destroyed 17,450 buildings.
•     During Prohibition Chicago was known for its gangsters. The most notorious of them was Al Capone. He had seven rival criminals murdered in the St Valentine's Day Massacre, but the police couldn't find enough evidence on which to arrest him. He was finally sent to prison in 1931 for not paying enough income tax.
•    Chicago is sometimes called the 'Windy City' or the 'City of Broad Shoulders.'
•    Chicago's tallest building is the Sears Tower. It is 443 metres high, with 110 floors. It's the tallest building in the US.

•    The Art Institute of Chicago has the largest collection of Impressionist paintings outside the Louvre in Paris.
•    Chicago's Western Avenue is probably the longest street in the world. It's 38.09 km long!
•    There are 29 public beaches in Chicago.
•    When St Patrick's Day is celebrated in the city the Chicago River is dyed green.

•    The world's largest ice cream cone factory is situated in Chicago.
•    The first car race ever seen in the US was held in Chicago in 1895.
•    Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the world's last free zoos.
•    The Chicago Bears (American football) and the Chicago Bulls (basketball) are two of the toughest teams in the US.

•    Chicago is home to the world's largest food festival - The Taste of Chicago. The festival is held for 10 days and attracts millions of Americans and tourists from around the world. Here, you can enjoy lots of tasty dishes prepared by Chicago's most popular restaurants and listen to live music.