7 Illinois Tragedies That Made National News And We'll Never Forget

Unfortunately, Illinois has experienced its fair share of tragedies. From natural disasters to horrible accidents, we have truly seen it all. Our fair state has made the news for many occurrences over the years, but these are some of the worst incidents that we just can’t get out of our minds:

Library of Congress/Wikimedia

One of the worst mining accidents in US history happened in this Illinois mine when some hay caught on fire. In all, 259 men and boys died.

Read more about this tragedy here.

National Weather Service

This group of tornadoes came seemingly out of nowhere, and ultimately killed 58 people. Vehicles were thrown across highways and 152 homes were distroyed; it was a devastating sight.

Read more about this tragedy here.

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Eastland Disaster Historical Society

A ship meant to take employees and their families to a picnic in Michigan City, Indiana from Chicago quickly began to tip over. Once it was all over, 844 people passed away.

Read more about this tragedy here.

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Illinois experienced the worst tornado in American history, flattening towns all across the southern part of the state. 695 people were reported dead, and thousands were injured.

Read more about this tragedy here.

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A huge blizzard hit the Chicagoland area, halting traffic and shutting the city down. 26 people died, and over 50,000 cars were left stranded during the storm.

Read more about this tragedy here.

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This horrible occurrence was said to be led by Al Capone himself. Seven men were murdered by members of the Mob disguised as police officers.

Read more about this tragedy here.

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia

This was one of the largest Confederate prisoner of war camps during the Civil War. Conditions were horrible, and though an exact death toll is unknown, it is estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 people died there.

Read more about this tragedy here.

Need some cheering up? Here are 13 Reasons Why Illinois is the Best State.