November 21 Illinois History Minute

It’s November 21st, a notable date for Fighting Illini football. On this day in 1914, Illinois beat Wisconsin 24 to nine, ending their season with a perfect seven-and-oh record. In 1925, the “Galloping Ghost”, Red Grange led Illinois to a 14 to nine win over Ohio State to finish off a five-and-three season. It was the last college game for Grange, who made the then-controversial decision to turn pro and sign with the Chicago Bears.

On this day in 1915, nearly 5-thousand people turned out in Vandalia to catch a glimpse of the Liberty Bell. The famously cracked bell ---believed to have been rung in Philadelphia for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence---was greeted in many towns during its train trip back home from an exhibition at the 1915 World’s Fair in San Francisco. I’m Jim Meadows. Illinois Public Media.