This week we celebrate

Illinois Entered the Union as the 21st State December 3, 1818 Which state is home to bears, bulls, blues, great pizza, and Abraham Lincoln? The state of Illinois entered the Union on December 3, 1818. The 21st state takes its name from Native American tribes of the area. In Algonquian, "Illinois" means "tribe of superior men." Illinois can boast of many outstanding citizens in its long history, going back to a sophisticated, prehistoric society in the southwestern part of the state that had developed limited agriculture.