Michael Jordan — wearing his Bulls No. 23 jersey — scores 16 points in his NBA debut

Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Oct. 26, according to the Tribune’s archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
- High temperature: 84 degrees (1963)
- Low temperature: 22 degrees (1942)
- Precipitation: 2.18 inches (2019)
- Snowfall: 1.9 inches (1957)

1921: Balaban & Katz’s Chicago Theatre opened. It was said to be the largest and finest of its kind in the world with seating for 5,000 people.
The first film shown was silent — “The Sign on the Door” starring Norma Talmadge.
“In early architectural renderings, the theater at 175 N. State St. had been labeled the Ambassador or the Capitol,” the Tribune’s Richard Christiansen wrote in 2001. “Fortunately, those were dropped. Chicago prevailed, and the six-story vertical sign that spells out the name has become one of the city’s enduring icons.”

1939: Armour Institute of Technology and Lewis Institute announced they would merge to form Illinois Institute of Technology.

1984: Wearing a No. 23 Chicago Bulls jersey for the first time — in front of 13,913 fans at Chicago Stadium — Michael Jordan scored 16 points in his NBA debut, a 109-93 victory against the Washington Bullets. Also there — the San Diego Chicken.
An unused ticket from the game sold at auction in 2022 for $468,000.

2002: Arlington Park hosted a sold-out crowd of 46,118 for the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships — the first ever held in the Midwest.

2005: The Chicago White Sox won their first World Series since 1917.
2005 White Sox relive their World Series championship
“They completed their stunning run in a manner that mirrored their amazingly successful season, riding the pitching of Freddy Garcia and the bullpen to a 1-0 victory over Houston and completing a four-game sweep of the 2005 World Series,” Tribune reporter Mark Gonzales wrote.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: The White Sox’s wild ride into the team’s 125th season
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