Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Sept. 27, according to the Tribune’s archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
High temperature: 91 degrees (1971)
Low temperature: 31 degrees (1942)
Precipitation: 2.28 inches (2019)
Snowfall: None
1970: The Chicago Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles in their home opener, which was held at Northwestern University’s Dyche Stadium (now Ryan Field) in Evanston.
Despite winning 20-16, reviews of the Bears’ performance were brutal.
From Wrigley Field to Soldier Field: Where the Chicago Bears have played home games since 1921
“The Bears committed almost every possible type of football sin. They were penalized for almost every foul in the book,” Tribune sports editor Cooper Rollow wrote.
Evanston didn’t think much of the Bears either. Residents petitioned city officials to block the Bears from moving there. The Bears signed a five-year deal with Northwestern in early 1971, but the Big Ten Conference denied permission for the team to lease Dyche Stadium two weeks later.
1974: Marc Chagall’s “The Four Seasons,” a 3,000-square-foot mosaic, was dedicated in the outdoor plaza of the First National Bank (now Chase Tower Plaza).
Upon seeing its final changes, the 87-year-old artist said, “Not bad, eh? I hope the people will like it.”
Chagall’s “America Windows” were dedicated in 1977, at the Art Institute of Chicago. They were his gift to the city in honor of late Mayor Richard J. Daley.
1993: The Chicago White Sox clinched the American League West — their first division title in a decade. “Bewitching” pitching from 23-year-old left-hander Wilson Alvarez and a storybook three-run home run by Bo Jackson gave the Sox a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners at Comiskey Park.
The Sox lost the American League Championship Series to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2.
1995: Crews began demolition of a Cabrini-Green high-rise, the first to be razed.
2021: R&B singer R. Kelly was convicted in a sex trafficking trial in New York, after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. Kelly is serving a 20-year prison sentence for his convictions, simultaneously with a 30-year sentence imposed in 2022 on racketeering charges.
2024: The White Sox reached the pinnacle of baseball infamy with record-breaking loss No. 121, falling to the Detroit Tigers in front of a sellout crowd of 44,435 at Comerica Park.
The 2024 Chicago White Sox lost often — and in every fashion. Here’s a loss-by-loss look at their 41-121 season.
Want more vintage Chicago?
Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago’s past.