James Thompson (1789–1872) was an American surveyor who created the first plat of Chicago (pictured), completing it on August 4, 1830. Born in South Carolina, Thompson moved to Kaskaskia in southern Illinois as a young man and lived in the area for the rest of his life. He was hired to plat settlements at both ends of the proposed Illinois and Michigan Canal in northern Illinois, including Chicago at the eastern end. Before Thompson's plat fixed its location, the word "Chicago" had been used for various places around the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. The plat named the streets in the area and allowed its residents to obtain legal title to their property. Chicago incorporated as a town in 1833 and as a city in 1837. In addition to his surveying work, Thompson served as a probate judge, county commissioner, and officer in the Illinois militia during the Black Hawk War. His grave, which was originally unmarked, was given a monument by the city in 1917.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Thompson_%28surveyor%29
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1796:
French Revolutionary Wars: Commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte (depicted), the French Army of Italy decisively defeated an Austrian brigade led by Peter Vitus von Quosdanovich at the Battle of Lonato. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lonato
1964:
Vietnam War: The National Security Agency falsely claimed that a U.S. Navy destroyer was attacked a second time by North Vietnamese vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin, leading Congress to authorize the use of military force. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident
1995:
Yugoslav Wars: The Croatian Army initiated Operation Storm, the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and the largest European land battle since the Second World War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Storm
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
Spidey-sense: (humorous) An intuitive feeling, usually of something being dangerous or risky; (more generally) instinct, intuition. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Spidey-sense
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
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