How much do you know about The Prairie State and its proud people? Take our quiz and find out.
1. In what year did Illinois become a state?
A) 1777
B) 1800
C) 1818
D) 1850
2. What’s the state motto?
A) State Sovereignty, National Union
B) Lincoln Slept Here
C) Goin’ Deeper in the Hole
D) State Union, National Sovereignty
3. What does the name “Illinois” mean?
A) It is Winnebago for “land of flowing rivers.”
B) It is Algonquin for “tribe of superior men.”
C) It is Kickapoo for “Lincoln slept here.”
D) It is Sauk for “land of many harvests.”
4. What is Illinois’ state animal?
A) Bobcat
B) Bison
C) Spring Peeper Frog
D) White-tailed deer
5. What is the title of the state song?
A) “Where the Violets Grow”
B) “Prairie State Polka”
C) “Illinois”
D) “Home on the Range”
6. How many national forests are in Illinois?
A) 1
B) 3
C) 6
D) none
7. Which of these state parks is not in Illinois?
A) Mississippi Palisades State Park
B) Chain O’Lakes State Park
C) Governor Dodge State Park
D) Moraine Hills State Park
E) Rock Cut State Park
8. Which of these famous musicians was not born in Illinois?
A) John Mayer
B) Miles Davis
C) Benny Goodman
D) Burl Ives
E) Common (Rapper)
9. Which of these writers/poets was not born in Illinois?
A) Carl Sandburg
B) Ray Bradbury
C) Mark Twain
D) Ernest Hemingway
E) Scott Turow
10. Which of these actors was not born in Illinois?
A) Rock Hudson
B) Bill Murray
C) John Cusack
D) Robin Williams
E) Tom Hanks
F) Harrison Ford
11. Which of these actresses was not born in Illinois?
A) Reese Witherspoon
B) Patricia Arquette
C) Joan Allen
D) Betty White
E) Nichelle Nichols
F) Elizabeth McGovern
12. Which of these pro athletes was not born in Illinois?
A) Basketball player Isiah Thomas
B) Ice skater Janet Lynn
C) Tennis player Jimmy Connors
D) Golfer Tiger Woods
E) Baseball player Kirby Puckett
F) Football player Shannon Sharpe
13. Which U.S. President never lived in Illinois?
A) Abraham Lincoln
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) Rutherford B. Hayes
D) Ronald Reagan
E) Barack Obama
14. What is the Illinois state flower?
A) Dandelion
B) Violet
C) Dogwood
D) Bluebell
Quiz Answers
1. C. 1818
2. A. State Sovereignty, National Union
3. B. It is Algonquin for “tribe of superior men.”
4. D. White-tailed deer
5. C. “Illinois”
6. A. One, Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. It also has
the 19,000-acre Midewan National Tallgrass Prairie, the first national tallgrass prairie ever established, on the site of the former Joliet Arsenal.
7. C. Governor Dodge State Park (Wisconsin)
8. A. John Mayer was born in Bridgeport, Conn. (Miles Davis in Alton, Burl Ives in Jasper County and Benny Goodman and Common in Chicago).
9. C. Mark Twain was born in Florida, Mo. (Carl Sandburg in Galesburg, Ray Bradbury in Waukegan, Ernest Hemingway in Oak Park and Scott Turow in Chicago).
10. E. Tom Hanks was born in Concord, Calif. (Robin Williams and Harrison Ford in Chicago, Rock Hudson in Winnetka, Bill Murray in Wilmette, John Cusack in Evanston).
11. A. Reese Witherspoon was born in New Orleans. (Patricia Arquette in Chicago, Joan Allen in Rochelle, Betty White in Oak Park, Nichelle Nichols in Robbins, Elizabeth McGovern in Evanston).
12. D. Golfer Tiger Woods was born in Cypress, Calif. (Jimmy Connors was born in East St. Louis and Isiah Thomas, Janet Lynn, Kirby Puckett and Shannon Sharpe were born in Chicago).
13. C. Rutherford B. Hayes was born in Ohio.
14. B. Violet