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Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk war of 1832 stands in present day O'hare Airport.
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Black Hawk War Ends
After a year spent in raids against the American settlers, the Black Hawk war ended. -
Illinois and Wisconsin Railroads
By 1854, Illionois and Wisconsin railroad, a Chicago and Northwestern railroad precurser, was established. Withen two years Chicago had become the nub for over different 10 trunk lines and nearly 3,000 miles of rack.
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Us Government Comes In
In 1916 the US government officialy took over the Railroad.
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World War I Ends
At the end of World War I the eastern part of the country stoped its congestion from the reliance of the railroads ffor the war. -
Midway Airport
Midway airport opened for business and has been opened ever since.
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Pearl Harbor attack
Over 300 Japanese planes attack the Pearl Harbor Naval base. -
Pearl Harbor Speech
Franklin D. Rosevelt gives speech about the events that occured the Previous day. -
Douglas Field Becomes an Airport
In 1945*, a Site Selection Committee appointed by Edward Kelly, the mayor of Chicago, chose Orchard Field, the location of a Douglas aircraft assembly plant located on the northwest side of Chicago, as the site for a new Chicago airport.
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O'Hare Gets It's Name
In 1949*, the Chicago City Council renamed Orchard Field as Chicago-O'Hare International Airport to honor naval pilot Lt. Cmdr. Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare, a Medal of Honor recipient from Chicago who died in World War II.
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O'Hare Opens
O'Hare International Airport officially opened to commercial air traffic in 1955* and succesfully served 176,902 passengers in its first year.
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A New Runway
In 1957*, a fifth runway was added to O'Hare International Airport.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
International Terminal Opens
August 8, 1958, marked the date that O'Hare International Airport's first terminal, used specifically for international travel, was dedicated. The occasion was celebrated by the arrival of a non-stop flight from Paris to Chicago. A total of 22,498 international passengers were accommodated by the end of the year. -
O'Hare Expands
On April 1, 1959, Mayor Richard J. Daley presided over ceremonies to inaugurate the expansion of O'Hare International Airport to approximately 7,200 acres. The expansion included additional terminal and cargo buildings, airplane hangars, car parking, a post office, flight kitchens and rental car facilities. -
O'Hare Becomes More Accessible
An eight-lane expressway opened in 1960 between O'Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago, making the airport easier to access for travelers. -
O'Hare Becomes the Busiest Airport in the World
All scheduled Midway Airport operations were transferred to O'Hare International Airport by 1962*. The extra transferred flights made the passenger numbers rise to 10 million by the end of the year, making O'Hare International Airport the "World's Busiest Airport".
*Exact month and date were not found. -
JFK Dedicates O'Hare
On March 23, 1963, O'Hare International Airport was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy, who said, "There is no other airport in the world which serves so many people and so many airplanes. This is an extraordinary airport, an extraordinary city, and an extraordinary country, and it could be classed as one of the wonders of the modern world."
John F. Kennedy at O'Hare International Airport Dedication -
O'Hare's Popularity Expands
By 1965*, the total number of passengers who passed through O'Hare International Airport doubled to 20 million.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
O'Hare Expands Further
A sixth runway was added to O'Hare International Airport in 1968*.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
O'Hare's Popularity Grows More
O'Hare International Airport broke the 30 million passenger mark for the first time in 1968*.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
A Seventh Runway
O'Hare International Airport's seventh runway was added in 1971*.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
Hilton Hotel Opens
In 1973*, the 10-story O'Hare Hilton Hotel opened for business. Located directly opposite from the terminals, passengers could step off an airplane and walk to the hotel lobby.
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Parking Garage Opens
A six-level parking garage was opened in 1974*, bringing O'Hare International Airport's parking capacity to 9,300 cars.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
A Tunnel System Begins
In 1974*, a pedestrian tunnel system linking the parking structure, O'Hare Hilton Hotel and the terminal complex was completed.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
O'Hare's Popularity Expands Further
By the end of 1974, O'Hare International Airport handled more than 37.8 million passengers on almost 695,000 flights. -
O'Hare Development Program Begins
Chicago responds to crowded terminals with the announcement of a $2 billion O'Hare Development Program in 1983*.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
United's Terminal 1 Opens for Business
United Airlines' Terminal 1 opened in 1987*. The state-of-the-art terminal was built at a cost of $500 million.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
South Cargo Area Opens
In 1989*, the South Cargo Area was completed at O'Hare International Airport, resulting in the nation's largest mid-continent freight origin/destination market.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
Daley Promotes PFC Legislation
In 1990*, Mayor Richard M. Daley led the initiative to introduce Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) legislation, providing funds needed to modernize the nation's airports at no cost to local taxpayers.
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O'Hare Reaches 60 Million Passengers
O'Hare International Airport reached the 60 million passenger mark for the first time in 1990. -
Command Center Opens
The O'Hare Command Center opened in May 1992*.
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Terminal 5 Opens
The world class International Terminal 5 opened in 1993*, establishing Chicago as the "premier mid-continent international gateway and connecting hub." Chicago began to capitalize on deregulation of the international market and liberalization of open skies agreements.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
FAA Approves OMP
Paving Underway at O'Hare On September 30, 2005, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a Record of Decision in favor of the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP), Mayor Richard M. Daley's vision for building a 21st century airport at O'Hare International Airport at no local cost to taxpayers. -
FAA Funds O'Hare's OMP
In November 2005* the FAA issued a Letter of Intent Funding $337 Million for OMP Phase I.
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O'Hare Reaches 76.5 Million Passengers
More than 76.5 million passengers passed through the airport in 2005 while over 972,000 flight operations took place. -
OMP Progress Starts
The OMP was one of the largest construction projects in the country at one of the world's busiest airports, and was managed by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). -
FAA Approves OMP Noise Program
In 2006* the FAA approved the OMP Phase I Noise Program Passenger Facility Charge Application and implemented mandatory flight caps at O'Hare International Airport.
*Exact month and date were not found. -
NATCT is Commissioned
In 2008*, Runway 9L-27R, the extension of Runway 10L and the North Airport Traffic Control Tower (NATCT) were commissioned ahead of schedule and $40 million under budget.
*Exact month and date were not found -
FAA Approves OMP Completion Phase
In 2009*, the FAA approved the OMP Completion Phase Design Passenger Facility Charge Application and the remaining OMP Noise Program Passenger Facility Charge Application.
*Exact month and date were not found -
SAM Issued
The Sustainable Airport Manual (SAM) was issued in August 2009*, producing the nation's first sustainability guidance for airports, including the development of a rating system, green airplane certification award system, and recognition of designers and contractors for sustainable accomplishments.
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FAA Funds O'Hare's Final OMP Phase
In April 2010*, the FAA issued a Letter of Intent funding $410 million for the OMP Completion Phase.
*Exact date was not found -
OMP's Contributions
When the OMP is complete, O'Hare International Airport will have eight runways. Six will be East-West parallel runways and two crosswind runways. The OMP will transform O'Hare International Airport's airfield from a system of intersecting runways into a modern parallel runway configuration to reduce flight delays and increase flight capacity well into the future.