Here you will find a selection of websites for biographical and historical information.
Local history information includes links to our archives on the Attempted Nazi March of 1977 and 1978 in Skokie and the Skokie History Project, containing a digitized collection of photographs, maps, business cards, and invoices that document the history of Niles Center and Skokie from the early 1800s to the 1990s.
Skokie Public Library also has an extensive collection of books and audio-visual material on all periods of history including a separate Biography collection. Use the Library catalog to search for these items.
Web resource 
Available with Skokie Public Library card 
Available in Library only
Librarian Recommendations
These article databases and websites have been selected by librarians at Skokie Public Library as outstanding resources and good places to start a search for biographical and historical information.
Attempted
Nazi March of 1977 and 1978 in Skokie digitized archive
A digitized document collection of newspaper articles about the attempt of the National Socialist Party of America (Nazis) to march in Skokie, Illinois in 1978; compiled by Skokie Public Library.
Biographies Plus Illustrated from Wilson
Biographies Plus Illustrated includes in-depth, full-text profiles of newsmakers and figures of prominence from a wide range of fields with coverage of people from ancient times to the present. More than 32,000 photographs of the subjects are included, plus up-to-date bibliographies. Content is included from a host of high quality Wilson biographical resources, including Current Biography, the World Authors series, and the Junior Authors & Illustrators series. In addition, Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated includes over 65,000 profiles licensed from a number of respected reference publishers.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
An index to numerous current and retrospective biographical dictionaries.
Use this resource to find the books that will have more information on a
person you are researching.
Skokie Public Library's guide to this database available
Daily Almanac from Infoplease.com
Use this website to find key events that occurred on particular dates in history including birthdates of significant people.
Encyclopedia of Chicago
A detailed collection of historical resources ― including articles, photos, maps, broadsides, and newspapers ― related to Chicago's colorful and complex history.
Skokie
History Center from SkokieNet
A brief history of Skokie and links to other local historical information.
Biography
Biographies Plus Illustrated from Wilson
Biographies Plus Illustrated includes in-depth, full-text profiles of newsmakers and figures of prominence from a wide range of fields with coverage of people from ancient times to the present. More than 32,000 photographs of the subjects are included, plus up-to-date bibliographies. Content is included from a host of high quality Wilson biographical resources, including Current Biography, the World Authors series, and the Junior Authors & Illustrators series. In addition, Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated includes over 65,000 profiles licensed from a number of respected reference publishers.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
An index to numerous current and retrospective biographical dictionaries.
Use this resource to find the books that will have more information on a
person you are researching.
Skokie Public Library's guide to this database available
Biography.com
Biographies of over 20,000 personalities from the Arts & Entertainment Network (A&E).
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
This database provides biographical information on representatives and senators from 1774 to the present.
Dead People
Server
Is the celebrity still alive? Check it out on this website.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of more than two hundred full text reference sources for research. Areas covered include Arts, Biography, Business, History, Literature, Medicine, and more. At one time, these reference materials were accessible only in print form from within the Library, but are now available online.
Skokie Public Library's guide to this database available
Inventors from
About.com
This site contains information and links on famous inventors and inventions and includes many timelines.
Marquis Who's Who on
the Web
Marquis Who’s Who on the Web features comprehensive profiles on over one million of the most accomplished individuals from all fields of endeavor. Search by name, gender, occupation, geography, hobbies and interests, religion, and much more. This database provides access to current biographies of all individuals who have appeared in Marquis Who's Who print titles since 1985. An online segment called "Who’s Who in American History" includes biographies from the Who Was Who in America volumes covering 1607-1985. Searches may be conducted combining up to fifteen criteria to create targeted lists of results.
Nobelprize.org
This official Nobel site contains detailed biographies of Nobel laureates.
The
Political Graveyard
This website includes brief biographical information for all historical national office holders and key state and local politicians.
Presidents' Hall
Courtesy of The White House, this website provides biographical information on the presidents and first ladies of the United States.
RULERS
This website contains lists of heads of state and heads of government of all countries and territories. In most cases, information dates back to around 1700.
Who's Alive
and Who's Dead
Use this site to find out if a celebrity is still breathing.
Who2?
Who2? is a biography database that provides key facts about celebrities and historical figures. Available information includes birth and death dates, famous works, notorious trivia, and links to the four best sites for additional detail.
Dates
Calendars
through the Ages
This website describes the various calendars currently in use throughout the world and calendars that are no longer used. The site also provides answers to questions about leap years, daylight savings time, names of days of the week, and much more.
Daily Almanac from Infoplease.com
Use this website to find key events that occurred on particular dates in history including birthdates of significant people.
Those Were The Days:
Today in History
For given dates, this website lists significant events, birthdates, and chart-topping music.
Year by Year: 1900-2005 from Infoplease.com
Choose a year in the twentieth century to get key United States and world events, statistics, sports, entertainment, and science information.
History
Alternatime
"Browse the past and some futures" with this collection of links to hundreds historical timelines on the web.
Best of
History Websites
Developed for students and educators, this site ranks and reviews over 800 history-related websites and sorts them by era.
Digital History
Sponsored by the University of Houston, this site contains material to support the teaching of United States history from kindergarten through college with timelines, links, images, biographies, an encyclopedia, and an online textbook.
Discoverers Web
This web directory is filled with links to authoritative information on the "Age of Discovery" and the great explorers.
Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy
From the Avalon Project at Yale Law School, this site contains the text of key documents related to the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy, and government from ancient times to the present.
HistoryChannel.com
This companion website to the popular cable television channel, has timelines going back to 500 BC, a selection of famous speeches, and a "This Day in History" feature.
HistoryWorld
This site contains an extensive collection of historical information with specialist articles and customizable timelines.
HyperHistory.com
HyperHistory offers an extensive color-coded timeline of world historic information going back to prehistory. The site also contains an historical maps section.
WhoWhatWhen
A database of people and events from 1000 A.D. to the present this site provides graphic timelines for specific dates or periods in history.
World Statesmen
An encyclopedia of nations, colonies, international and religious organizations, and other polities. Includes country facts, leaders, maps, anthems, flags, and links.
Local History
At Home in Skokie digitized archive
A collection of architectural drawings, photographs, advertisements, realtor’s postcards, and other materials that document the development of Skokie’s residential architecture and the various stages of suburban development in Skokie in the postwar period of the 20th century. The materials come from the collections of the Skokie Historical Society. They were digitized by Skokie Public Library and the Historical Society, with federal grant funding awarded by the Illinois State Library.
Attempted
Nazi March of 1977 and 1978 in Skokie digitized archive
A digitized document collection of newspaper articles about the attempt of the National Socialist Party of America (Nazis) to march in Skokie, Illinois in 1978; compiled by Skokie Public Library.
Chicago Historical
Society
This site contains information on the collection, research, and events at the Society and online projects covering famous local people and events.
Chicago Metro History Fair: History Links
Selected by staff at the Chicago Public Library, this collection of Internet links covers Chicago-area history.
Digital Past
Digital Past is a local history digitization project for the North Suburban Chicago area and contains photographs, postcards, newspaper articles, online exhibits, and more.
Dr. Louise Klehm Archives digitized archive
These photographs, letters, and artifacts document the life and career of Dr. Louise Klehm, Skokie's first woman doctor. Dr. Klehm graduated from medical school in 1902, interned at Jane Addam's Hull House, studied surgery in Berlin and Vienna, and finally came home to Skokie to practice medicine. These materials were digitized by Skokie Public Library and the Skokie Historical Society, with federal grant funding awarded by the Illinois State Library and Jesse White, State Librarian.
Encyclopedia of Chicago
A detailed collection of historical resources ― including articles, photos, maps, broadsides, and newspapers ― related to Chicago's colorful and complex history.
History of Skokie Public Library
View a timeline of significant events in Skokie Public Library's seventy-year history, useful statistics, and resources for further research.
Jazz Age Chicago
A guide to the history of Chicago in the first half of the 20th century. This site also contains a Chicago History Research Guide with links to archives on Chicago area history.
Jewish Genealogy Resources at
Skokie Public Library
Skokie, Illinois is home to a significant Jewish population. This selected list of books, periodicals, and other materials available at Skokie Public Library has been compiled for those in Skokie, and elsewhere, interested in researching their Jewish genealogy.
Jews in Chicago from Skokie Public
Library
This resource list of books and videos available at Skokie Public Library covers Jewish history, life and culture, biography, periodicals, and literary works.
Local History & Genealogy from SkokieNet
A brief history of Skokie and links to other local historical information.
Photographs from the Chicago Daily News
From the Library of Congress's American Memory online project, this collection of over 55,000 images of urban life from the Chicago Daily News spans the years 1902 through 1933. Most of the photographs were taken in Chicago, Illinois, or nearby towns, parks, or athletic fields. In addition to many Chicagoans, the photos feature politicians, actors, athletes, and other prominent people who stopped in Chicago during their travels.
Skokie
Fire Department History digitized archive
This collection of photographs, documents, and artifacts relates the history of the Skokie Fire Department. These materials were digitized by Skokie Public Library in conjunction with the Skokie Historical Society and Ron Smith of the Skokie Fire Department, with federal grant funding awarded by the Illinois State Library and Jesse White, State Librarian.
Skokie
Historical Society
This site includes contact information and an overview of the archives and services available at the Society.
Skokie History Project digitized
archive
In cooperation with the Skokie Historical Society, Skokie Public Library has digitized a collection of photographs, maps, business cards, and invoices that document the history of Niles Center and Skokie from the early 1800s to the 1990s.
Skokie Newspaper Index
The Skokie Public Library newspaper index contains citations to articles which appeared in the Skokie Review (from 1984 to the present), The News (from 1981 to 1984, when it ceased publication), and Life: Skokie edition (from 1981 to October 2004, when it ceased publication). When the full text of an article appears on the newspaper's website, a link is provided from the index to the article. You can also view the full text of indexed articles by consulting back issues of the newspapers found on microfilm in the Library. A card file housed in the Library's reference department contains citations to articles which appeared in Skokie newspapers between 1963 and 1980.
More information about the Skokie Newspaper Index is available online.
Skokie Obituary Index
Skokie Public Library maintains an index to obituaries which appeared in Skokie newspapers from 1963 to the present. Obituaries have been indexed from The News (1963 through 1984), Skokie Review (1981 to the present) and Life: Skokie edition (1981 to October 2004). Obituaries are searchable by name, or browsable by name or date.
More information about the Skokie Newspaper Index is available online.