{"id":699298,"date":"2026-04-02T09:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T09:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/699298\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T09:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T09:30:16","slug":"today-in-chicago-history-svengoolie-goes-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/699298\/","title":{"rendered":"Today in Chicago History: &#8216;Svengoolie&#8217; goes national"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on April 2, according to the Tribune\u2019s archives.<\/p>\n<p>Is an important event missing from this date? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/04\/02\/april-2-chicago-history\/mailto:krumore@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Email us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Front page flashback:<\/strong> April 3, 1995<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"A nearly eight-month strike, which the Tribune called &quot;the most acrimonious and protracted labor dispute in American sports history,&quot; between players and MLB owners ended April 2, 1995. (Chicago Tribune)\" width=\"2374\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-MLB-BASEBALL-STRIKE-OVER-1995-01-e1743190516682.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"18747739\" \/>A nearly eight-month strike, which the Tribune called &#8220;the most acrimonious and protracted labor dispute in American sports history,&#8221; between players and MLB owners ended April 2, 1995. (Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><strong>1995:<\/strong> After a 4 \u00bd-hour meeting with Major League Baseball owners at the O\u2019Hare Hilton in Chicago, acting Commissioner Bud Selig said a nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/chicagotribune.newspapers.com\/article\/chicago-tribune-baseball-returns-to-clou\/169053225\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">eight-month baseball strike<\/a> was over. A 144-game season was scheduled to begin April 26.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Weather records <\/strong>(from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/wrh\/climate?wfo=lot\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">National Weather Service, Chicago<\/a>)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High temperature: <strong>82 degrees<\/strong> (1963)<\/li>\n<li>Low temperature: <strong>18 degrees<\/strong> (1899)<\/li>\n<li>Precipitation: <strong>1.64 inches<\/strong> (1983)<\/li>\n<li>Snowfall: <strong>9.4 inches<\/strong> (1975)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Nearly four months after federal agents arrested him, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was indicted on April 2, 2009, on 16 counts of racketeering, fraud and extortion. He pleaded not guilty. (Chicago Tribune)\" width=\"2193\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-ROD-BLAGOJEVICH-INDICTED-2009-01.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"18749063\" \/>Nearly four months after federal agents arrested him, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was indicted on April 2, 2009, on 16 counts of racketeering, fraud and extortion. He pleaded not guilty. (Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><strong>2009:<\/strong> A federal grand jury <a href=\"https:\/\/chicagotribune.newspapers.com\/article\/chicago-tribune-us-says-blagojevich-c\/162674424\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">indicted<\/a> former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on 16 counts, including racketeering, fraud and extortion. Also indicted were his brother, Robert (his charges were later dropped); a close friend and fundraiser, Chris Kelly; his chief of staff, John Harris; and a former chief of staff, Alonzo Monk.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo (left) and head coach Lovie Smith (right) introduce new quarterback Jay Cutler (center) at Friday press conference at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. April 3, 2009 (Phil Velasquez\/Chicago Tribune) ..OUTSIDE TRIBUNE CO.- NO MAGS, NO SALES, NO INTERNET, NO TV, CHICAGO OUT.. 00305461A Bears Cutler (football pro)\" width=\"2800\" height=\"309\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-JAY-CUTLER-2009-CT0019764458.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"18749960\" \/>Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo, left, and head coach Lovie Smith, right, introduce new quarterback Jay Cutler at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on April 3, 2009. (Phil Velasquez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also in 2009:<\/strong> The Chicago Bears traded quarterback Kyle Orton, plus a first-round pick and a third-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft and a first-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Denver Broncos for quarterback <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2014\/12\/18\/april-2-2009-to-wednesday-jay-cutlers-timeline-with-the-bears\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jay Cutler<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Rich Koz as Svengoolie, circa 1982. (Chicago Tribune archive) scanned from print, published on June 2, 1982. No attributiono on back of print could be a handout from the TV station.\" width=\"5620\" height=\"335\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-SVENGOOLIE-CT0136204175.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"18749469\" \/>Rich Koz as Svengoolie, circa 1982. (Chicago Tribune archive)<\/p>\n<p><strong>2011:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2024\/10\/31\/vintage-chicago-tribune-how-svengoolie-has-evolved-as-the-citys-iconic-ghost-host\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cSvengoolie\u201d<\/a> went national. The show was broadcast across the country on Weigel Broadcasting\u2019s Me-TV network for the first time.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Lori Lightfoot appears at an election night party at the Hilton Chicago hotel Tuesday April 2, 2019, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)\" width=\"5472\" height=\"309\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-LORI-LIGHTFOOT-ELECTED-CT0093226029.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"18749575\" \/>Lori Lightfoot appears at an election night party at the Hilton Chicago hotel on April 2, 2019, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><strong>2019:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2019\/04\/02\/lori-lightfoot-elected-chicago-mayor-making-her-the-first-african-american-woman-to-lead-the-city\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lori Lightfoot<\/a> became the first Black woman and first openly gay person elected mayor of Chicago.<\/p>\n<p>Want more vintage Chicago?<\/p>\n<p>Subscribe to the free\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/membership.chicagotribune.com\/newsletters\/subscribe\/lid\/2d8200fe-eefd-4f1d-bcaa-26a0ce79a461\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/membership.chicagotribune.com\/newsletters\/subscribe\/lid\/2d8200fe-eefd-4f1d-bcaa-26a0ce79a461\">Vintage Chicago Tribune<\/a>\u00a0newsletter, join our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/762760217263236\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/762760217263236\/\">Chicagoland history Facebook group,<\/a> stay current with<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/tag\/chicago-history\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> Today in Chicago History<\/a> and follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vintagetribune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vintagetribune\/\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for more from Chicago\u2019s past.<\/p>\n<p>Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/04\/02\/april-2-chicago-history\/mailto:krumore@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">krumore@chicagotribune.com<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/04\/02\/april-2-chicago-history\/mailto:mmather@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">mmather@chicagotribune.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on April 2, according to the Tribune\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":699299,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5124],"tags":[292312,292314,89454,98579,960,531,6387,5386,1818,39576,130650,292313,126765],"class_list":["post-699298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chicago","tag-april-2","tag-baseball-strike","tag-blagojevich","tag-bud-selig","tag-chicago","tag-chicago-bears","tag-chicago-history","tag-il","tag-illinois","tag-jay-cutler","tag-lori-lightfoot","tag-rick-koz","tag-svengoolie"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116334417860927056","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=699298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699298\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/699299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=699298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=699298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=699298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}