The 1988 Def Leppard show was a big one—16,606—and lead singer Joe Elliott announced from the stage that it had broken Elvis Presley’s all-time attendance record. Only—dramatic pause!—it hadn’t. Whether
From its agricultural and engineering roots, John Milton Gregory had a profound vision for what the U of I should become—a full-fledged university offering courses in every field and grounded
A: According to our records, at of March 2024 the oldest alumni are Mabel Craf, ’30 ED (109), of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; followed by Otto Klein, ’37 ACES (108), of
A: You betcha—and from way back, too. During the University’s early years—we’re talking 19th century, here—suffrage was one of the most popular debate topics between the women’s and men’s student
What really lasts for 150 years? If the 1873 attendees of Illinois Industrial University visited the U of I campus today, what would they recognize? Perhaps they’d identify some of
The first concert at Foellinger Auditorium was right after it opened, as part of its Nov. 5, 1907, dedication program. The headliner was an orchestra led by Theodore Thomas, founder
Memorial Stadium opened in 1923, but its formal dedication came a year later—at the next season’s Homecoming game. The mighty Michigan Wolverines hadn’t lost in two years, but after pregame
The Daily Illini was founded in 1871 by the University’s first senior class, as an eight-page literary journal called The Student. Chock full of undergraduate essays on topics such as
The Big Game, 1924 There he was, front and center, above the fold: Harold “Red” Grange, ready to take on the Michigan football team. The occasion was the dedication of
The Daily Illini was the first student newspaper to become a member of the Associated Press and, for much of the 20th century, was regarded as the best college
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