Illinois Fun Facts Trivia Quiz

Here's my latest Fun Facts quiz. Enjoy.

A multiple-choice quiz by bullymom. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
bullymom

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
78,728

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Very Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
2621

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 98 (3/10), Guest 50 (4/10), Guest 50 (2/10).

This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.

1. What franchise was first opened in Joliet, Illinois, on June 22, 1940? Hint

Dairy Queen

Wendy's

McDonald's

Baskin Robbin's

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2. Which of these is NOT a nickname of Chicago? Hint

'Industrial Capital of America'

'Tool Maker'

'Hog Butcher for the World'

'Stacker of Wheat'

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3. Who is the only US President to be born in Illinois?

Answer: (Two Words-first and last name or just last name)

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4. What's unusual about Ahlgrim's Funeral Home in Palatine? Hint

It has a miniature golf course

It's for horses

It has a drive-through window

It has a gift shop

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5. A replica of what famous landmark stands in the town of Niles? Hint

Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Sphinx

Eiffel Tower

Parthenon

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6. Which of these towns did NOT host one of the famous Lincoln- Douglas debates? Hint

Freeport

Jonesboro

Ottawa

Springfield

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7. Who was dragged from the Old Carthage Jail and assassinated by a mob in Carthage on June 27, 1844? Hint

John Wilkes Booth

Joseph Smith

Billy the Kid

Clyde Barrow

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8. What famous American orator and Presidential candidate was born in Salem in 1860? Hint

William Lloyd Garrison

John C. Calhoun

Frederick Douglass

William Jennings Bryan

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9. What famous gangster was shot by the FBI outside of Chicago's Biograph Theatre onJuly 22, 1934?

Answer: (Two Words-first and last name or just last name)

NEXT>

10. In Springfield you can tour the home of this poet, who was known as the 'Prairie Troubador'. Hint

Vachel Lindsay

Robert Frost

Emily Dickinson

Walt Whitman

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What franchise was first opened in Joliet, Illinois, on June 22, 1940?

Answer: Dairy Queen

The store was opened by J. F. and Alex McCullough. Thank you, JF and Alex!

2. Which of these is NOT a nickname of Chicago?

Answer: 'Industrial Capital of America'

These names are all from Carl Sandburg's poem 'Chicago'.

3. Who is the only US President to be born in Illinois?

Answer: Ronald Reagan

Reagan, our 40th President, was born in Tampico in 1911. In case you were thinking of Lincoln, he was born in Kentucky. However, Illinois' nickname is 'Land of Lincoln', since he spent most of his life in this state. Ulysses Grant lived in Galena, but was not born there.

4. What's unusual about Ahlgrim's Funeral Home in Palatine?

Answer: It has a miniature golf course

Believe it or not, there is actually a miniature golf course in the basement of this funeral home. It was started over 35 years ago as a pastime for staff and family, and as word of its existence spread, it became an attraction in its own right. You need to call for a reservation to play- people are DYING to play. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

5. A replica of what famous landmark stands in the town of Niles?

Answer: Leaning Tower of Pisa

6. Which of these towns did NOT host one of the famous Lincoln- Douglas debates?

Answer: Springfield

The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 were a series of seven statewide debates in which the candidates for the US Senate seat, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, debated. (Lincoln lost).

7. Who was dragged from the Old Carthage Jail and assassinated by a mob in Carthage on June 27, 1844?

Answer: Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion, was jailed in Carthage, on charges of treason and destroying a printing press. He and his brother Hyrum had made their way west, getting kicked out of New York, Ohio, and Missouri before settling in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1839. Today the Old Jail is restored and open for tours.

8. What famous American orator and Presidential candidate was born in Salem in 1860?

Answer: William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan, the impassioned political orator and three- time Presidential candidate, was born in Salem on March 19, 1860. Known as 'The Great Commoner' or the 'Silver-Tongued Orator', he is perhaps best known for his 'Cross of Gold' speech at the 1896 Democratic convention in Chicago.

His famous line, on the subject of gold vs. silver currency, was 'You shall not crucify the working man upon a cross of gold'.

9. What famous gangster was shot by the FBI outside of Chicago's Biograph Theatre onJuly 22, 1934?

Answer: John Dillinger

John Dillinger, 'Public Enemy Number One', was shot and killed by FBI agents as he emerged from the theatre. Ironically, the movie he had seen was 'Manhattan Melodrama', a gangster film. A plaque on the historic building describes the event.

10. In Springfield you can tour the home of this poet, who was known as the 'Prairie Troubador'.

Answer: Vachel Lindsay

The American poet Vachel Lindsay was born in the Greek Revival house at 603 South 5th Street in 1879.

Source: Author bullymom

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

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