Today In Holy Crap: 20 Years Of Mayor Richard M. Daley

Photo by Samantha Abernethy/Chicagoist

Saturday was a special day for Mayor Daley: April 4 marked the 20th anniversary of Richard M. Daley's election to the office of Mayor of Chicago except no one made much of a fuss over it. Today, the Sun-Times took notice, though, as did several other reporters. Said Daley on the anniversary and the lack of attention it drew:

“I was surprised...I thought somebody would ask me a question on that..I have thoroughly enjoyed my 20 years as mayor. I really love it. I don’t think there's a better job in America. You really get the pulse, the heart, the beat of a city like ours. Twenty years went very, very fast. It seems like it just was yesterday."

Of course, Daley himself probably didn't have much of a chance to celebrate as he was a little busy with the visiting International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission. As the Sun-Times points out, Daley, just two weeks shy of his 67th birthday and 20th anniversary of being sworn in, would surpass his father Richard J. Daley as Chicago's longest-ruling mayor come December 2010 as long as he keeps the seat. Daley's mantra on how to handle being mayor of the nation's third-largest city while being bombarded by criticism? “I just move on. I don’t look back the next day."

For some additional Richard M. reading to celebrate this auspicious occasion, check out Chicago Mag's Daley vs Daley and The Reader's Ben Javorsky's City For Sale. Oh, and about those parking meters...