Edward and Annie had a whirlwind courtship.

       While the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most of the world in 2020, their world opened up. They and other Shedd Aquarium penguins shuffled across Soldier Field, partied at birthday celebrations and, in early 2021, checked out premium Chicago restaurants.

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       The two rockhoppers became social media sensations when they waddled past the Shedd’s massive fish tanks on a “field trip.” They even became the subject of their own children’s book.

       But the honeymoon is over. And now, they have a baby.

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       The penguin couple are the parents of the first rockhopper chick born at the Shedd in eight years, the aquarium said Tuesday. The chick began to break from its shell June 15 after developing for 32 days, a Shedd spokesperson wrote in a news release.