1941 – 1955

Emmett Till

African-American lynching victim (1941–1955)

schoolchild

Born

1941-07-25, Chicago

Died

1955-08-28

Birthplace state

Illinois

Biography

Emmett Louis Till was an African-American boy who, at 14 years old, was abducted and lynched in Mississippi in 1955. The brutality of his murder and the acquittal of his killers drew attention to the long history of violent persecution of African Americans in the United States. Till posthumously became an icon of the civil rights movement.

Occupation

Emmett Till is recorded as a schoolchild, born in Illinois (1941–1955).

Connections to Illinois

Emmett Till was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1941. Explore other notable figures from Illinois, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

Other notable figures from Illinois›Illinoishistory ›Historic sites in Illinois›

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Overview

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The Land

The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.

Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.

Historical Maps

Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.

Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

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Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Points of Interest

The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.

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More notable figures from Illinois

Other historical figures born in Illinois, ranked by historical prominence.

Ronald Reagan

president of the United States from 1981 to 1989 and actor (1911-2004)

Walt Disney

American animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)

Ernest Hemingway

American author and journalist (1899–1961)

Robin Williams

American actor and comedian (1951–2014)

Ray Bradbury

American author and screenwriter (1920–2012)

Bobby Fischer

American chess player (1943–2008)

James Watson

American molecular biologist, geneticist, zoologist and Nobel Laureate (1928–2025)

Frequently asked about Emmett Till

Who was Emmett Till?

Emmett Till was African-American lynching victim (1941–1955), born in Illinois (1941 – 1955).

When and where was Emmett Till born?

Emmett Till was born on 1941-07-25 in Chicago.

When did Emmett Till die?

Emmett died on 1955-08-28.

What was Emmett Till known for?

Emmett Till is recorded as a schoolchild.

Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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