History in Ravenswood

Writer and poet Carl Sandburg was one of the most decorated and famous contributors to 20th century American literature.  He wrote his most famous poem, "Chicago," while living at 4646 North Hermitage Avenue.  Sandburg wrote for the Chicago Daily News, and in 1951 he won a Pulitzer Prize for poetry.

Home of the Vikings, Amundsen High School is named after Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole.  The school originally opened on November 10, 1930, as a junior high at 5110 North Damen Avenue, but became a high school on july 26, 1933.  Today Amundsen's total enrollment is around 1,600 students.  It is a Chicago Public School known for a non-selective International Baccalaureate program.  Its notable alumni include nine-time Tony Award-winning theatrical director and choreographer Bob Fosse, who won an Academy Award for Best Director for the 1972 film "Cabaret."  Dan Jorndt, former President and CEO of Walgreen's, also attended Amundsen.  Hollywood writer, director, and producer Michael Mann, who directed "Heat," "Ali," "The Aviator," "The Insider," and "Public Enemies" is an alumnus, and actor Roy Thinnes, best known for his work in the ABC television series "The Invaders," attended school here too.

The lava lamp was invented by Edward Craven-Walker in the United Kingdom in 1963. Originally called the “Astro Lamp,” it was presented at a 1965 trade show in Belgium, where it caught the eye of an entrepreneur named Adolph Wertheimer, who purchased the rights to manufacture the device in the United States. Before long, it was being exclusively manufactured by the newly-established Lava Manufacturing Corporation at 1650 West Irving Park Road. The company was ultimately sold to Elmhurst-based Haggerty Enterprises, which now outsources production of the lava lamp to a factory in China.