May 17 Illinois History Minute

It’s May 17th, and on this day in 1900, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, was published by the Chicago publishing firm of George M. Hill. Baum, a Chicago resident during his middle years, went on to write 13 sequels about the land of Oz.

On this day in 1955, Illinois lawmakers voted to make “Land of Lincoln” the official state motto. Abraham Lincoln spent his adult life prior to his presidency in Illinois, where he built his career as an attorney and politician.

A U-S Senate committee began hearings on the Nixon administration’s Watergate scandal on this day in 1973. WILL broadcast the hearings, with NPR’s live radio coverage running during the day, and the PBS television coverage airing in prime-time.