Austin Illini Club     

 Illini Facts

Al Gore might have invented the Internet, but the University of Illinois brought it to you.  Today's Netscape and Internet Explorer web browsers were based upon the Mosaic web browser developed at the University of Illinois.

Plasma television screens first entered the US market towards the end of 1999, but the concept has been around since July of 1964 at the University of Illinois.  The first plasma displays were nothing more than points of light created in laboratory experiments.  The technology was developed and improved, and by the late 60's, it had become advanced enough to allow the scientists to construct geometric shapes.  

In 1952, Illinois developed the first University-owned supercomputer ever: dubbed "Illiac."

U of I has the largest Public University library in the nation, and the third largest University library behind only Harvard and Yale.

Illinois is home of the oldest agricultural fileds in the Western Hemisphere: The Morrow Plots, which have provided research on increasing crop yields and provided over 120 years of invaluable data on the long-term effects of crop rotation and fertilization.  Due to its importance, the Morrow Plots were designated as a National landmark in 1968.  The Undergraduate Library was constructed underground 

Illinois hosted the first "homecoming" in 1910.  Eventually, the rest of the country followed suit.

Memorial Stadium, built in the 1920s in honor of World War One veterans, seats 69,250 fans for football games, with over 75% of seats between the goal lines (the way its should be) due to its two huge balconies.  The Assembly Hall holds 16,500 fans for basketball games. 

Illinois hosted the first radio-broadcast of a college football game in 1924.

Illinois has hosted the largest Greek system (fraternities and sororities) in the world for at least two decades.  Emphasizing the diversity of the school, Illinois' strong Greek system has, of course, spawned Illinois' counter-cultural "G.D.I." devotees,* as well.

Click here for Marching Illini "firsts."

*- G.D.I.= Gosh Darned Independent, although not usually phrased quite so politely.

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