Nickname: The Land of Lincoln

Capitol: Springfield

Many of Daryl’s family members live in Illinois. His maternal grandparents met and moved from there in 1939 when they bought a dairy farm in Wisconsin.

The Chicago Fire of 1871 was supposedly started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow when she knocked over a lantern. When it ended, the entire inner city was gone and 100,000 people were left without a home. Ironically, the O’Leary house was spared.

Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, McDonald’s and Miracle Whip are all from Illinois.

There are more personalized plates in Illinois than any other state.