Capital: Springfield

State Nickname: Prairie State

State Bird: Cardinal

State Flower: Native Violet

Admitted to the Union: December 3, 1818

December 2, 1822 to December 6, 1826:

Edward Coles

December 6, 1826 to December 6, 1830:

Ninian Edwards

December 6, 1830 to November 17, 1834:

John Reynolds

November 17, 1834 to December 3, 1834:

William L. D. Ewing

December 3, 1834 to December 7, 1836:

Joseph Duncan

December 7, 1838 to December 8, 1842:

Thomas Carlin

December 8, 1842 to December 9, 1846:

Thomas Ford

December 9, 1846 to January 10, 1853:

Agustus C. French

January 10, 1853 to January 12, 1857:

Joel A. Matteson

January 12, 1857 to March 18, 1860:

William H. Bissell

March 18, 1860 to January 14, 1861:

John Wood

January 14, 1861 to January 16, 1865

Richard Yates

January 16, 1865 to January 11, 1869:

Richard J. Oglesby

January 11, 1869 to January 13, 1873:

John M. Palmer

January 13, 1873 to January 23, 1873:

Richard J. Oglesby

January 23, 1873 to January 8, 1877:

John L. Beveridge

January 8, 1877 to February 8, 1883:

Shelby M. Cullom

February 16, 1883 to January 30, 1885:

John M. Hamilton

January 30, 1885 to January 14, 1889:

Richard J. Oglesby

January 14, 1889 to January 10, 1893:

Jospeh W. Fifer

January 10, 1893 to January 11, 1897:

John P. Altgeld

January 11, 1887 to January 14, 1901:

John R. Tanner

January 14, 1901 to January 9, 1905:

Richard Yates

January 9, 1905 to February 3, 1913:

Charles S. Deneen

February 3, 1913 to January 8, 1917:

Edward F. Dunne

January 8, 1917 to January 10, 1921>

Frank O. Lowden

January 10, 1921 to January 14, 1929:

Len Small

January 14, 1929 to January 9, 1933:

Louis L. Emmerson

January 9, 1933 to October 6, 1940:

Henry Horner

October 6, 1940 to January 13, 1941:

John H. Steele

January 13, 1941 to January 10, 1949:

Dwight H. Green

January 10, 1949 to January 12, 1953:

Adlai E. Stevenson

January 12, 1953 to January 9, 1961:

William G. Stratton

Janaury 9, 1961 to May 22, 1968:

Otto Kerner

May 22, 1968 to January 13, 1969:

Samuel H. Shapiro

January 13, 1969 to January 18, 1973:

Richard B, Ogilvie

January 8, 1973 to January 10, 1977:

Daniel Walker

January 10, 1977 to January 14, 1991:

James R. Thompson

January 14, 1991 to 1999:

Jim Edgar

1999 to 2003

George H. Ryan

2003 --

Rod R. Blagojevich

Written by C.H. Chamberlain
Composed by Archibald Johnston

By thy rivers gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois,
O'er thy prairies verdant growing, Illinois, Illinois,
Comes an echo on the breeze.
Rustling through the leafy trees,
and its mellow tones are these, Illinois,Illinois,
And its mellow tones are these, Illinois.

1820: 55,211

1830: 157,445

1840: 476,183

1850: 851,470

1860: 1,711,942

1870: 2,539,891

1880: 3,077,871

1890: 3,826,351

1900: 4,821,550

1910: 5,638,591

1920: 6,485,280

1930: 7,630,654

1940: 7,897,241

1950: 8,712,176

1960: 10,081,158

1970: 11,110,285

1980: 11,426,518

1990: 11,430,602

2000: 12,419,570