History is just the best and Best Life Online thinks so too. They just put together some of the most amazing historical facts about Illinois and Missouri that will blow your mind.

KICK FM, #1 For New Country logo
Get our free mobile app

Bestlifeonline.com has come up with some of the craziest facts known in all 50 states. What they have to say might surprise you and some may already know these fun facts.

Illinois

Illinois has several big cities in the state, but nothing can compare to Chicago known as The Windy City. I always thought it was called The Windy City because of the lake, but nope I was wrong. It has nothing to do with weather, but an event that happened in 1893.

It is believed to have been coined in 1890 by New York Sun editor Charles Dana referring to its competitor for the 1893 World's Fair as full of "hot air." While Chicago would win the hosting gig, the nickname stuck.

There are other rumors that it was also named The Windy City due to a rival with Cinnicinatti, but that rumor is not as popular as the World's Fair. I had no idea this was a thing, I am sure many of you thought that the nickname came from the weather, but nope from a disgruntled journalist who was made New York didn't get the World's Fair. See, mind blown.

Missouri

The crazy fact about Missouri is more devastation than a silly nickname. Missouri is home to the U.S.'s deadliest tornado which hit back in 1925. The F5 tornado went through three states including Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana and killed 695 people, and destroyed over 15,000 buildings.

the deadliest tornado in U.S. history—the Tri-State tornado of March 18, 1925, which killed 695 people and injured 2,027 (not to mention destroyed about 15,000 homes throughout the region).

Iowa is home to a large number of mammoths that have been known to die in the state. There have been several digs throughout the state that have found bones of these large animals.

Cities With the Worst Commute in Illinois

Stacker compiled a list of the cities with the worst commutes in Illinois using data from the Census Bureau.

LOOK: Counties with the Warmest Summers in Missouri

Stacker compiled a list of the counties with the warmest summers in Missouri.

More From KICK FM, #1 For New Country