Today in Chicago History: Impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich removed from office
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Jan. 29, according to the Tribune's archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
High temperature: 63 degrees (2013)
Low temperature: Minus 16 degrees (1966)
Precipitation: 1.33 inches (2013)
Snowfall: 5.3 inches (1909)
1856: William Rand cofounded what would become Rand McNally's first print shop with the Chicago Tribune on Chicago's Lake Street. Twelve years later, the company bought the Tribune's share and began printing railroad tickets and timetables.
1981: Jerry Reinsdorf was approved to buy the Chicago White Sox from Bill Veeck.
It only took American League owners 25 minutes to unanimously approve the sale to a syndicate headed by the Skokie real estate developer and New York television executive Eddie Einhorn.
2009: The Illinois Senate voted 59-0 to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who walked out of the silent chamber after delivering an impassioned plea for mercy, saying he 'never, ever intended to violate the law.'
Within hours they applauded his former running mate and lieutenant governor, Pat Quinn, who was sworn in as the state's 41st governor.
Rod Blagojevich saga timeline: From arrest to Donald Trump's commutation to the end of his supervised release
2019: 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett reported he was a victim of an allegedly racist and homophobic attack. He was later charged with making it up and convicted in December 2021 on five out of six felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police. He was sentenced to 150 days in Cook County Jail.
In a stunning move, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned the convictions in November 2024, finding that a special prosecutor's decision to retry him for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself violated his rights after the Cook County state's attorney's office previously dropped all charges.
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