Key Events in Chicago’s History: October 19

2014: Barack Obama Supports Pat Quinn

On October 19, 2014, President Barack Obama spoke on behalf of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn during a re-election campaign event at Chicago State University. Obama aimed to rally Democratic voters in a non-presidential election year, using his local popularity to boost turnout. This visit marked his second trip to Chicago to support Governor Quinn, following a major fundraising event.

1970: Gene Lewis Incident

Gene Lewis, a convicted murderer, was shot and killed by police on October 19, 1970. He attempted to escape from the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago, using a handgun that was smuggled inside a hollowed-out book of poems. Lewis had been sentenced to death for the murder of security guard James Wilson.

1983: Nobel Prize for Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, an astrophysicist at the University of Chicago, received the Nobel Prize in Physics on October 19, 1983. Chandrasekhar, born in India and a U.S. citizen since 1953, was recognized for his work on white dwarfs, stars that collapse into dense bodies. These discoveries were validated by astronomers, confirming the prevalence of white dwarfs in the universe. He shared this Nobel Prize with William Alfred Fowler.

Chandrasekhar expressed his pride in his research on black holes at the time of his Nobel Prize announcement. Notably, he was the second in his family to become a Nobel laureate, joining his uncle Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, who won a Nobel Prize for discovering the Raman scattering effect in 1930.

1987: Starbucks Enters Chicago

Starbucks opened its first Chicago location on October 19, 1987, at 219 W. Jackson Blvd. The café offered various coffees, espresso drinks, steamed cider, cocoa, and mineral water. A single shot of espresso cost 81 cents, including tax.

1988: Nobel Prize for Leon Lederman

Leon M. Lederman, director of Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics on October 19, 1988. He shared this honor with Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger for their groundbreaking research on subatomic particles.

2007: Patrick Kane’s First NHL Goal

On October 19, 2007, Patrick Kane, the Chicago Blackhawks’ top draft pick, scored his first career goal in a match against the Colorado Avalanche, finishing with a 5-3 victory. Along with the goal, Kane had two assists, making him the team’s leading scorer with seven points early in the season.