Chicago Events of July 25

Explore the notable events that occurred in Chicago on July 25 throughout history.

Fire Incident at CTA Station in 1994

On July 25, 1994, Cecil Calimee, a Chicago Transit Authority worker, was set on fire inside his ticket booth at the Blue Line station located at Kedzie Avenue and 19th Street. The incident occurred shortly after he opened his booth around 4 a.m. The attack left Calimee, who was also a former semipro football player and a basketball coach at Farragut, with burns on his face, chest, and left arm.

Temperature Extremes in Chicago Weather

Weather records indicate that on July 25, the highest temperature reached was 101 degrees in 1940, while the lowest was 53 degrees in 1911. In 1993, the precipitation recorded was 1.22 inches. No snowfall was documented.

Sea Lions Arrival at Lincoln Park Zoo in 1889

Nineteen sea lions arrived at Lincoln Park Zoo from Santa Barbara, California, in July 1889. They were transported by train under the care of Capt. Cyrus Alvah Eastman, who fed them fish during the journey. Eastman expressed confidence in the sea lions’ ability to quickly adapt to handlers. However, their continuous barking drew complaints from the zoo’s neighbors about noise disturbances during the night.

St. John of God Church Incident in 1984

On July 25, 1984, a gunman entered St. John of God Catholic Church and fired three bullets, one of which struck the “weeping” statue of the Virgin Mary. The other two bullets lodged in a wall. None of the 40 people present were injured, and the gunman managed to evade capture.

Renaming of Congress Parkway in 2018

In 2018, Chicago’s City Council renamed Congress Parkway to Ida B. Wells Drive. This change honored Ida B. Wells, a prominent activist, making the street the first downtown Chicago street named for a woman of color.