As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from January 27, including the Chicago Bears winning Super Bowl 20.
1913: The Joliet Evening Herald
On January 27, 1913, the Joliet Evening Herald balanced somber local news with international upheaval. The lead local story, “Railroader Dies When Pilot Drops,” detailed a tragic accident at the E. J. & E. yards. Meanwhile, the paper reported on global instability with the headline “Martial Law Declared in Turk Capital,” following a violent revolution in Constantinople.
1986: The Daily Chronicle (DeKalb)
The January 27, 1986, edition of DeKalb’s Daily Chronicle was dominated by a sea of blue and orange. Following the Chicago Bears’ iconic 46–10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, the headline “‘Bears Bears Bears’” captured the “delirious” atmosphere on Rush Street and in local taverns like Sullivan’s. Amidst the celebration, the paper also tracked serious civic matters, including a report on “Government uses professionals to go after debtors” and the indictment of a man for a Sycamore armed robbery.
1986: The Times-Press (Streator)
Also reporting on the morning after the Super Bowl, the Times-Press in Streator featured a massive photo of Coach Mike Ditka being carried off the field under the banner “BEARS ARE SUPER.” While local fans celebrated what one headline dubbed the “Boston Massacre” (referencing the lopsided win over the New England team), the paper also looked toward the stars, noting that the “Takeoff of space teacher, shuttle Challenger scrubbed by problems,” delaying the mission by at least one day.
1996: The Northwest Herald (McHenry County)
Ten years later, the January 27, 1996, Northwest Herald led with a chilling update on a local crime: “Coroner confirms identity of body, murder.” The story detailed the identification of Katherine M. Lichtman through dental records following a fire in Barrington Hills. The front page also addressed a major safety concern for the community, reporting on a “near miss” involving a school bus and a train in Crystal Lake, an event that sparked intense questioning of local transportation safety protocols.
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