A Look Back at Historic Events in Chicago on October 24th

Here’s a retrospective of notable occurrences in Chicago on October 24, as chronicled by the Tribune’s archives.

Front Page Flashback: October 25, 1971

Detroit Lions reserve wide receiver Chuck Hughes tragically collapsed during the fourth quarter of a game against the Chicago Bears at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. He was pronounced dead at a hospital nearby. This event marked Hughes as the only NFL player to ever die on the playing field, turning a thrilling football game into a somber moment.

Don Pierson of the Tribune noted the sudden shift in atmosphere, and George Langford provided details of Bears’ player Dick Butkus indicating Hughes’ collapse. Hughes passed away 40 minutes later. A photograph captured Butkus gesturing for aid, with teammates Ron Smith, Garry Lyle, and Doug Buffone standing by.

Weather Records

• High temperature: 83 degrees in 2023
• Low temperature: 17 degrees in 1981
• Precipitation: 1.85 inches in 2021
• Snowfall: Trace in 2013

Other Notable Events

In 1873, William Frederick Poole was elected as the librarian by the Chicago Public Library board, with an annual salary of $4,000. This marked the opening of Chicago’s first new library at the southeast corner of LaSalle and Adams streets.

In 1931, Al Capone, the prominent Chicago Outfit boss, was sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined $50,000 for tax evasion after being found guilty on five counts. Capone was later transferred to a federal penitentiary in Atlanta and released early due to health complications.

The Southwest Expressway, later renamed Stevenson Expressway in honor of former Illinois Governor Adlai E. Stevenson II, opened on October 24, 1964, providing a crucial transportation link across the region.

1995 marked the release of the Smashing Pumpkins double album “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” celebrated with a concert at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago. Tribune critic Greg Kot commended the album as a significant advancement for the band.