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Today in Chicago History: Municipal Grant Park Stadium renamed Soldier Field on Armistice (now Veterans) Day

Cardinal George Mundelein, from left, the Rev. William Griffin, and C.G. Guill look over Soldier Field in 1925 in preparation for the 28th International Eucharistic Congress. The large, open-air Mass was held at Soldier Field in June 1926. (Chicago Herald and Examiner)
Cardinal George Mundelein, from left, the Rev. William Griffin, and C.G. Guill look over Soldier Field in 1925 in preparation for the 28th International Eucharistic Congress. The large, open-air Mass was held at Soldier Field in June 1926. (Chicago Herald and Examiner)
By | krumore@chicagotribune.com | Chicago Tribune
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Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Nov. 11, according to the Tribune’s archives.

Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.

Vintage Chicago Tribune: How the city celebrated war’s end and welcomed its veterans home

Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)

  • High temperature: 74 degrees (1964)
  • Low temperature: 13 degrees (2019)
  • Precipitation: 3.18 inches (1881)
  • Snowfall: 3.4 inches (2019)

1911: “The Great Blue Norther.” The passage of an epic cold front across the Midwest created Chicago’s largest two-day change in temperature readings — 61 degrees — from Nov. 11-12, 1911.

The high plummeted from 74 degrees on Nov. 11 to a low of 13 degrees in the evening on Nov. 12.

Chicago’s Soldier Field: A timeline of events since 1924, including hosting the world’s athletes, congregations, politicians and performers

1925: Municipal Grant Park Stadium was renamed Soldier Field on Armistice (now Veterans) Day. Yet, the Tribune decided to call it Soldiers’ Field in its pages.

The Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals played in a charity game for Rosary College on Nov. 11, 1926, at Soldier Field. The Bears won 10-0. (Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals played in a charity game for Rosary College on Nov. 11, 1926, at Soldier Field. The Bears won 10-0. (Chicago Tribune)

1926: The Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals faced each other in the first professional football game played at Soldier Field. The Bears won 10-0. But the venue didn’t become the Bears’ home stadium until 1971.

With a heart-stopping view of Chicago beneath him, "Spider Dan" Goodwin completes his 100-story journey to the top of the John Hancock Center on Nov. 11, 1981. (Carl Hugare/Chicago Tribune)
With a heart-stopping view of Chicago beneath him, "Spider Dan" Goodwin completes his 100-story journey to the top of the John Hancock Center on Nov. 11, 1981. (Carl Hugare/Chicago Tribune)

1981: Dan Goodwin — nicknamed “Spider Dan” for earlier scaling the Sears Tower — spent six hours in 40-degree weather climbing up the side of the 100-story John Hancock Center.

“Amid taunts, jeers, and boos from spectators, firefighters tried unsuccessfully for two hours to stop Goodwin, breaking windows and trying to turn him back with a torrent of water from high-pressure hoses,” the Tribune reported.

‘Spider Dan’ wowed Chicagoans with his scaling of skyscrapers

The decision to let Goodwin proceed, for his own safety, was made after a conference among Fire Commissioner William Blair, Mayor Jane Byrne and police Supterintendent Richard Brzeczek, all of whom had come to the scene and tried to talk Goodwin out of his climb.

At about 1 p.m., Goodwin raised his fist in victory as he clambered over the top of the building — into the waiting arms of police.

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