Not many of us live to be 172. In fact, it's probably safe to say that no human being has ever lived to be 172, except for maybe that Richard Alpert guy on LOST. But we digress. Cities, on the other hand, live to be ripe old ages, and it's just about time to celebrate Chicago's birthday. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, March 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; join other Chicagoans at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St. for a birthday bash complete with music, crafts and, of course, cake. Admission is free. Just like any other birthday party, we can all sit around and remember the good old days like when Grant Park hosted the election night win of our first African-American president, and the not so good old days when Mrs. O'Leary's silly cow kicked over that bucket back in 1871 and burned the whole city to the ground (but wasn't that just a big myth?? The cow part, we mean). Regardless, we've come a long way, baby.
