July 13 Illinois History Minute

It’s July 13th, and on this day in 1787, Congress under the Articles of Confederation passed the Northwest Ordinance. The measure established a government for the Northwest Territory, which included the future state of Illinois. The Northwest Ordinance also outlined the process for admitting new states to the union, equal in stature to the original thirteen states.

Chicago native Harrison Ford gained fame with this line, which he said in three different Star Wars movies. Ford was born to former actors on this day in 1942. Besides Star Wars, he’s best known for his work in the Indiana Jones movies, plus others such as Bladerunner, Air Force One, The Fugitive and Patriot Games.