October 15,1891

First fraternity chartered

In 1881, students of the Illinois Industrial University (the precursor to the present University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) were required to pledge not to become members of Greek letter organizations. Ten years later the ban was lifted, giving way to what is currently regarded as the largest Greek letter community in the country. Learn more...

October 24, 1894

Orange and blue official colors

President Andrew Draper named orange and blue as the Urbana campus' official colors as the campus prepared for the dedication of the new engineering building in November. Blue represents steadfastness and stability and orange represents freedom. Before this, the University often used "old gold" and black.  Learn more about the colors... Learn more about Engineering Hall...

October 15, 1910

First homecoming in Urbana

The first collegiate homecoming celebration was held at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. The campus played the University of Chicago. Homecoming was the genesis of other annual student traditions such as class reunions. Learn more...

October 18, 1924

Memorial Stadium dedicated

The columns surrounding Memorial Stadium are inscribed with the names of Illinois men and women who lost their lives in World War I. Thanks to the athleticism of Harold "Red" Grange, the dedication-day football game is legendary in college football history. Grange's number 77 was retired in 1925 and remains one of only two numbers ever retired by the Illini.  In 2002, the stadium was rededicated to include the men and women who served in World War II, and, in 2007, extensive renovations to the stadium began. Learn more...

October 30, 1926

The Chief makes debut

University of Illinois student Lester G. Leutwiler performed the first dance by Chief Illiniwek in Philadelphia during halftime of a game against the University of Pennsylvania. After his dance, the Chief was met by the Pennsylvania mascot, a Quaker. He offered the Quaker a peace pipe, and the two walked arm in arm off the field. On February 21, 2007, the Chief danced for the last time after the University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted to end the Chief tradition. Learn more...  For more historic pictures, visit the University archives.

October 26, 1945

Willard Airport dedicated

Willard Airport was dedicated in 1945 and commenced regular flight service in 1954. The airport currently operates nearly a dozen commercial flights a day and is one of the largest University-owned airports in the country. Learn more...

October 21, 1946

Navy Pier opens

In 1946, the University of Illinois began offering two-year undergraduate programs at Navy Pier in large part to help provide education for returning World War II veterans. Over 100,000 students passed through the Navy Pier classrooms of the then-named University of Illinois at Chicago Undergraduate Division by 1964. Learn more...

October 5, 1970

Sangamon State University opens

Sangamon State was founded as an upper division school, a transfer destination for juniors and seniors following the completion of an associate's degree at a community college. In 1970, more than 800 students enrolled on the Springfield campus. Learn more about UIS... Learn more...

October 8, 1998

Hallene Gateway Plaza dedicated

New Main Hall, one of the original buildings on the Urbana campus, was razed in 1934 to make room for the current student union. New Main's portal was sent to Allterton Park for storage and was rediscovered by employees in 1994. A gift from graduates Alan and Phyllis Hallene made possible the restoration of the portal near the new admissions office on the east side of the Urbana campus. Learn more...

October 2, 2002

Alumnus wins Emmy

Alumnus Donald Bitzer was awarded an Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his efforts in advancing television technology. Known as the inventor of the plasma display, he received three degrees (BS, MS, PhD) in electrical engineering from Illinois. Learn more...

October 6, 2003

Lauterbur wins Nobel Prize

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign faculty member Paul Lauterbur won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 2003. Lauterbur shared the Nobel with Sir Peter Mansfield. Both men developed nuclear magnetic resonance technology that made possible the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Learn more...

October 7, 2003

Leggett wins Nobel Prize

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign faculty member Anthony Leggett won the Nobel Prize in physics in 2003. Leggett shared the Nobel with Alexei Abrikosov and Vitaly Ginzburg. They were honored for their "pioneering contributions to the theory of superconductors and superfluids." Learn more...