On November 3, 1964, Illinois chose all 177 members of the state's House of Representatives in a single at-large election. The government was required to draw new electoral districts before the election, each of which would choose three representatives, but both the legislative process and a special commission failed to produce a district map. As a result, the state's constitution mandated that all 177 representatives were to be elected from a statewide at-large district. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party each nominated 118 candidates to appear on the ballot (specimen pictured); voters were allowed to choose up to 177. All 118 Democratic candidates were elected, flipping the Illinois House of Representatives from its previous narrow Republican control, alongside the concurrent presidential election won by Democratic incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson in a landslide. This election is the only time in American history that a state legislative chamber has been elected at-large.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Illinois_House_of_Representatives_election

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1898:

The Fashoda Incident ended with French forces withdrawing after several months of military stalemate with the British in Fashoda (now in South Sudan). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashoda_Incident

1948:

The Chicago Daily Tribune published the erroneous headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" in its early morning edition shortly after incumbent U.S. president Harry S. Truman officially upset the heavily favored governor of New York Thomas Dewey in the presidential election. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Defeats_Truman

1957:

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying the space dog Laika as the first living creature to enter orbit around Earth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

satori: 1. (uncountable, Zen Buddhism) A sudden inexpressible feeling of spiritual enlightenment or understanding, the result of meditation and study. 2. (uncountable, figurative) Enlightenment, epiphany. 3. (countable, biochemistry) A mutant gene of Drosophila, a genus of fruit flies, that causes homosexual behaviour in males (specifically, courtship directed to other males). 4. (Japanese mythology) A yokai (“supernatural monster”) having the form of a mind-reading monkey-like creature said to dwell in the mountains of the historical Japanese provinces of Hida and Mino (present-day Gifu Prefecture). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/satori

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The attempt to force human beings to despise themselves … is what I call hell.   --André Malraux https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Malraux