There are tons of fun facts about Illinois, but one of the coolest to pull out is when someone famous is from your small hometown. In fact, you may be surprised to know that lots of big names are actually from small towns in Illinois. This celebrity from Christopher, Illinois event went on to be one of the most well-known names in Hollywood.
John Malkovich is an award-winning actor, director, producer, and theater director who has starred or been featured in more than 70 films (and counting) throughout this storied career.
The film star was born on December 9, 1953, in the small town of Christopher in Southern Illinois. With just under 2,700 residents currently, the town was founded as a railroad stop in 1879 and has remained a charming small town since.
Before making it big, Malkovich grew up in the nearby town of Benton, Illinois. The town currently has about 6,700 residents and is also home to a mural of George Harrison of The Beatles, who once visited the town.
As a teen, Malkovich attended Benton Consolidated High School and acted in local plays, as well as sang and performed music. He later attended Eastern Illinois University and Illinois State University before going on to study acting at William Esper Studio in New York City.
His career began in Chicago at the famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company before advancing to Broadway. He won his first Emmy in 1985 for his performance in a "Death of a Salesman" made-for-TV movie.
Throughout this acting career, he has appeared in "Places of the Heart," (1984), "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988), "In the Line of Fire" (1993), "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005), "Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon," (2011), and of course the 1999 classic, "Being John Malkovich." He is also an accomplished stage and television actor.
Did you know that John Malkovich was a celebrity from Christopher, Illinois? Is there anyone famous from your hometown? Tell us in the comments! And if you feel like checking out Malkovich's Illinois roots in Benton, consider making it a weekend getaway by staying in this cool yurt village!
Do you march to the beat of your own drum? If so, you'll love the International Horseradish Festival in Collinsville. This horseradish extravaganza is a true community event, becoming a fixture of the town's annual calendar with its quirky and family-friendly events. Learn more about this wonderful and totally weird festival in Illinois!
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Thirty-five years ago, when Collinsville founded the horseradish festival, few predicted its future scale. The celebration has since put this small Illinois town on the map as the world's horseradish capital, attracting almost 200,000 horseradish tourists since its debut.
Self-mythologizing as Earth's premiere horseradish hot spot isn't all hot air. On the contrary, 60 percent of the world's horseradishes are grown in the Collinsville area. No wonder local vendors clamor for space at this event— it's an expression of state pride.
Have a brood? The International Horseradish Festival has lots to keep kids busy. Not only is the festival free, but it's scheduled for June 7 and 8 this year, making it the perfect destination for a weekend of sunshine fun!
Some tried-and-true traditions include Root Toss, a sport akin to cornhole but with horseradishes in lieu of bags. Bragging rights are on the line, as is your place in history. To date, an estimated 6,000 roots have been tossed at the festival, so get your name on the leaderboard.
Other bizarre attractions include Root Derby. Here, participants create, decorate, and race horseradishes to glory! You'll be astounded at the creativity of the contestants.
Stay energized for the festivities with a bite of something that pairs well with horseradish. As an event honoring produce, food is central to the International Horseradish Festival's mission.
If you want to attend an off-beat, family-friendly event this summer, check out the International Horseradish Festival in Collinsville. At first glance, it might just seem this is a weird festival in Illinois, but dig a little deeper, and you'll find an earnest celebration of community. No wonder this strange and heartfelt extravaganza has been kept alive since its inception in 1988!
Aside from the handful of large cities in Illinois, the vast majority of the state is farmland. Sounds pretty boring, right? Well, it may shock you to learn that the Prairie State actually likes to keep things pretty interesting when it comes to quirky facts, history, and laws that sometimes are just downright strange. From Eureka to Chicago, we discovered some seriously fun facts about Illinois.
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1. The small town of Casey has 12 of the world's largest objects.
Casey, Illinois has less than 3,000 residents, but it's home to a dozen huge attractions that have all been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Supersized objects include a massive rocking chair, a mailbox as big as a building (that you can actually send mail from!), a 56-foot wind chime, and the world's largest golf tee and driver. In addition to its record-holding objects, it also has some everyday things that are just plain huge — like a gigantic pencil that's displayed in town. A popular spot for tourists in the town is the giant birdcage, which you can enter for a photo, or the inside of the mailbox, which gives great views of the city and the other attractions.
2. The world's largest bottle of catsup in Collinsville is a national landmark.
This state is full of big surprises — literally. Just outside St. Louis is Collinsville, where you'll find a towering 170-foot catsup bottle billed as the World's Largest Catsup Bottle. Since 1949 this astonishing roadside attraction has had legions of loyal fans — so many that there is actually an annual festival to celebrate it. It was created for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant and has survived the test of time. The Catsup Bottle Preservation Group saved the statue from demolition in 1995, and in 2002 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It's actually a giant water tower with the ability to hold 100,000 gallons.
3. Illinois is home to the largest collection of 8-Track tapes.
An outdated technology for decades, 8-track tapes had their heyday from the 1960s to the 1980s and are pretty much historical relics at this point. But that only fueled Mr. Bob "Tracker Bob" Hiemenez to hunt down these artifacts with even more determination. In fact, Hiemenez is the World Record-holder for possessing the most 8-track players in the known universe! He has amassed an impressive 633 players and a whopping 80,025 tapes (or more).
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4. Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, was the first state to abolish slavery.
You may not think of Illinois much when it comes to the Civil War, but being the home state of presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, there are actually some pretty interesting connections. One such fact is that Illinois was the first state to abolish slavery in 1865. Prior to the Civil War, Illinois had created a law targeting Black citizens which made it challenging for them to live in (or move into) the state. Legislators from the state later changed that law and were the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution's 13th Amendment, which effectively repealed slavery nationwide.
5. Twinkies were invented in suburban River Forest.
America's favorite snack treat was invented just outside Chicago by James Dewar, a resident of River Forest and Oak Park for over 50 years. Dewar worked at the Continental Baking Company in River Forest when he was struck with the genius idea of stuffing sweet cake with a creamy white filling. Before his passing in 1985, Dewar said he would regularly enjoy three Twinkies with a glass of milk before bed. The baking company he worked for loved the idea and later became the Hostess Cake Company.
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6. This one's for the roosters living in Kenilworth: If you want to crow, you must step back at least 300 ft. from the house.
Try telling this one to a crow and see what he does. Will he abide by the 300-foot rule, or is a defiant 10 ft. from your window his preference? Three hundred feet is only 60 feet less than a football field, so for your rooster to follow the law, you would need a pretty big yard.
7. In Normal, it's not normal (or legal) to make faces at dogs.
Do you think making a funny face at dogs is all fun and games? That kind of action could get you in handcuffs, buddy. In Normal, it's against the law to make a face at a dog, regardless if it's your own four-legged friend. What kind of faces qualify? It's hard to say, so it's best to just keep it professional.
What do you think about these fun facts about Illinois? Are there any that we missed? Which of these would have you breaking the law? Tell us in the comments!
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Feeling proud to hail from Illinois? You should! Check out this unique collection of apparel from Wear Your Roots and wear your state pride on your sleeve.
For more Illinois fun, take a virtual tour of this historic river town:
