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Chicago was named after a French rendering of a Miami-Illinois word meaning “wild leek.” The city incorporated in 1837 and saw rapid population growth throughout its first century as a city. Not long after the city reached a population of almost 300,000, tragedy struck. In 1871, a third of the city was destroyed, 300 people were killed and 90,000 Chicagoans were left homeless in what has come to be known as the Great Chicago Fire. The devastation allowed the city to restructure its layout and design and brought about rapid reconstruction. During the reconstruction, the city built the world’s first skyscraper in 1885 and became an epicenter of cutting edge architecture. Chicago continued to establish itself as a world-class city by hosting one of the most influential world fairs in 1893. This event brought Chicago onto the global scene, making it one of the most influential cities in the world.
 
Chicago’s location on Lake Michigan made it a hub of transcontinental transportation as it provided access from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River through various canals. In addition to shipping, the city was a thoroughfare for the railway. The economy was further spurred by the city’s meatpacking trade and flourishing retail and manufacturing industries. With so much hustle and bustle going on, the city attracted people from all over the world. The diversity of the city’s population brought flavor to the city making Chicago home to some of the most renowned restaurants in the world.

While Chicago has had to pull through some pretty difficult times, from fires to riots to gangsters, the city has proven to be resilient in its ability to overcome adversity. Today, the city continues to thrive as the third largest city in the U.S. and is considered one of the ten most influential cities in the world by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network.