Michigan Minute

On this day in 1870, Elizabeth Madelon Stockwell became the first woman admitted to the University of Michigan. In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first five players, including Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb.

On this day in 1967, Michigan completed I-94, becoming the first state with an interstate highway stretching border-to-border. In 1942, the Blue Star Mothers of America was founded in Flint to support children serving in WWII, and continues its mission today.

On this day in 1800, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, the first known Indigenous literary writer and poet, was born in Ste. Saint Marie. Known as Bamewawagezhikaquay in Ojibwe, she left behind writings in both English and Ojibwe, offering insights into early 1800s life.

On this day in 1919, future Detroiter Fred Korematsu was born. He resisted Japanese American internment during WWII and was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1955, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo was born, leading the team to numerous Big Ten titles.

On this day in 1919, Michigan ratified the 18th Amendment, leading to Prohibition. In 1945, actor Tom Selleck was born in Detroit. In 1971, Michigan launched its first rocket into space from Keweenaw.

On this day in 1898, Sault-Sainte Marie imposed a 6 mph speed limit, sparking criticism from The Soo Times. In 1958, Ozzie Virgil joined the Detroit Tigers as their first Latino player. In 2015, the Lansing Lugnuts established the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame.

On this day in 1847, citizens of Marshall, Michigan, thwarted slave catchers and helped the Crosswhite family escape to Canada. In 1859, Jesse Eugene Tenney became Michigan’s state librarian. In 2012, the Michigan gray wolf was removed from the endangered species list.

On this day in 1978, Detroit welcomed future Wimbledon winner Corina Morariu. She won major doubles titles and overcame leukemia. Michigan also became the 26th state in 1837.

On this day in 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first U.S. city to add fluoride to its tap water. This was part of a study comparing dental health with Muskegon, MI, which later also fluoridated its water. Learn about the origins and impact of water fluoridation.

On this day in 1924, Grace Gilbert, the famous Bearded Lady from Kalkaska, Michigan, passed away. In 1938, a colossal winter storm hit the Upper Peninsula, causing 32 inches of snow and trapping people with snowdrifts up to 18 feet tall.

On this day in 1913, Lorinda Anna Blair Etheridge, a Union nurse and vivandière, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1963, Malcolm X spoke at MSU about race and the Black Muslim religion.

On this day in 1969, Governor George Romney resigned to join Nixon's cabinet. In 2002, K-Mart filed for bankruptcy. And in 2007, Pfizer closed three research sites, leading to the creation of the University of Michigan's North Campus Research Complex.

On this day in 1893, the first train arrived at Detroit’s Fort Street Union Depot. In 1915, Kiwanis International was founded, with the first club organized in Detroit's Griswold Hotel.

On this day in 1837, Michigan's first locomotive-powered train began service from Adrian to Toledo. In 1988, the Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, celebrated for their polished style that bridged pop and soul.

On this day in 1941, Bob Heft was born in Saginaw, Michigan. At 17, he designed the 50-star American flag, which earned him a B-minus in class but later a call from President Eisenhower. This flag remains the longest-serving design in U.S. history.

On this day in 1943, Michigan bakeries were ordered to stop slicing bread to save steel for the war effort. Also today, Glenn Frey, co-founder of The Eagles and Royal Oak native, passed away in 2016. His music continues to inspire.

On this day in 1899, Ellen May Tower, a veteran of the Spanish American War, became the first woman in Michigan to receive a military funeral. In 1983, Detroit’s J. L. Hudson Department store closed its doors for the last time. And in 1931, James Earl Jones, the iconic voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, was born.

On this day in 1937, Blanche Martin, the first African American MSU Trustee, was born. In 1938, Caberfae Ski Resort opened in the Manistee National Forest. And in 2018, a meteor lit up the Michigan sky.

On this day in 1818, Macomb County was named after General Alexander Macomb. In 1919, Michigan had its first all-woman jury, which quickly delivered a guilty verdict. And in 1954, WKAR launched its public television station, the third in the country.

On this day in 1856, Joseph R. Williams became the first president of the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. In 1913, Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight champion, was arrested in Battle Creek for violating the Mann Act and was posthumously pardoned in 2018.

On this day in 1854, Jim Paul registered the plot of land that would become Ontonagon, though he failed to secure the title. In 1862, Gov. Austin Blair approved a resolution to assist in the exchange of prisoners of war, focusing on Colonel Orlando B. Willcox, who was later promoted and awarded the Medal of Honor.

1959: Berry Gordy founds Tamla Records, the precursor to Motown, to release Marv Johnson's "Come to Me."

1805: President Jefferson signs act creating Michigan Territory. 1955: Detroit SAE reveals car exhaust contributes to smog. 1988: Dr. Hutton oversees first IVF-conceived quintuplets in Michigan.

1974: Charles Youngblood convicted in bribery scandal. 1964: William Clay Ford acquires Detroit Lions for $4.5 million.

1886: Detroit Free Press highlights "Milder Winters" linked to steam heat. 1973: Marquette Airport penalized for failing FAA anti-hijack measures. 1996: House task force advocates fair funding for Michigan's universities.

1831: Detroit gets daily mail, takes 14 days from New York. 1838: Gov. Mason deploys militia against Patriots raiding Detroit. 1997: Marilyn Kelly's investiture marks majority women Supreme Court.

1929: First non-stop flight Detroit to Miami, 9 hours, pilots Schlee and Brock. 1950: Chevrolet debuts affordable Powerglide, sells 300,000 in first year. 1971: B52 bomber narrowly misses nuclear plant, crashes into Lake Michigan.

1912: Danny Thomas, born Muzyad Yakhoob, invents the Spit Take, later founded St. Jude Children's Hospital. 1994: US Figure Skating Championship scandal at Joe Louis Arena as Nancy Kerrigan is attacked.

1870: U of M Board allows female students; Madelon Louise Stockwell leads the way. 1988: Michigan Central Station's last train departs, symbolizing Detroit's decline. 2018: Ford revives the iconic station, signaling Detroit's rebirth.

1918: Ford River Rouge plant launches, evolving into an industrial powerhouse. 1943: Fran Harris breaks radio gender barriers, becoming Michigan's first woman newscaster.

1848: Governor Epaphroditus Ransom inaugurated in Lansing, key developments. 1951: Ruth Thompson, Michigan's first woman in Congress. 2019: Rashida Tlaib, first Palestinian American woman in the US House, unique swearing-in.

On this day in 1920, an infamous pirate known as the Gray Ghost began haunting the Detroit River. Also in 1920, the FBI rounded up suspected communists in Michigan during the Red Raid. In 1974, Coleman Young became Detroit’s first Black mayor, serving for 20 years.

On this day in 2015, Richard Bernstein became Michigan Supreme Court's first blind justice. In 1954, the MSU Spartans won their first Rose Bowl. In 1989, The Temptations were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On this day in 1899, the 306-foot paddle-wheeler SS Tashmoo was launched in Detroit, becoming a beloved Great Lakes pleasure boat. It sailed for 37 years until it sank after hitting a submerged rock, though all passengers were safely evacuated. In 1983, Fred Dakota opened The Pines, Michigan’s first Native-American owned casino, starting in his garage before expanding to a 3,200-square-foot facility in Baraga, Michigan.

On this day in 1933, Governor William Comstock marked the repeal of Prohibition by purchasing the first bottle of whiskey sold in Michigan: Old Taylor Bourbon. In 1998, the Dwarf Lake Iris was designated Michigan’s official wildflower after a public vote, surpassing the more common Large Flower White Trillium, which is found across the U.S. but not primarily in Michigan.

On this day in 1953, the Detroit River Railroad Tunnel switched from electric to diesel-powered locomotives, connecting Michigan to Ontario. In 1902, Houghton, Michigan, became the birthplace of professional hockey when the Portage Lake Hockey Club, the first to pay players, faced the University of Toronto. This game marked the beginning of pro hockey, leading to the formation of the International Hockey League two years later.

In 1959, MSU Professor Glendon Swarthout, inspired by his students heading to Florida for Spring Break, wrote a book about their experiences. The 1960 book "Where The Boys Are" was turned into a successful MGM film starring Connie Francis, debuting on this day. The film, book, and hit song popularized the Spring Break phenomenon well beyond MSU.

On this day in 1821, Michigan held its first public executions, where two Indigenous men performed a death dance before their hanging. It wasn’t until 1846 that Michigan became the first state to abolish executions for non-treasonous crimes. This week in 2014, the Michigan Citizen, a prominent voice for African-American and progressive communities, published its final edition after 36 years.

In 1913, the first train arrived at Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, the tallest train station in the world at the time. In 1963, Boyne Highlands Resort opened with world-first triple chair ski lifts and an Alpine-style lodge. In 2010, Geraldine Doyle, the real-life Rosie the Riveter, passed away. Her image from Lansing’s factory inspired the iconic "We Can Do It!" poster, symbolizing women's empowerment during WWII.

In 1660, Michigan's first recorded Christmas celebration took place near Keweenaw Bay, documented by Father Rene Menard with French-Canadian traders and Huron converts. In 1811, Eber Brock Ward, the first of the Iron Kings, was born and became Detroit's first billionaire. In 1965, snowboarding was invented in Muskegon by engineer Sherman Poppen, who created a snowboard for his daughters, later becoming an Olympic sport in 1998.

In 1913, the Italian Hall disaster occurred in Calumet, Michigan, when a false "fire" alarm during a children’s Christmas party led to a deadly stampede, killing several, including many children. It’s believed the alarm was triggered by a strikebreaker. On this day in 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the War of 1812 and leading to the return of captured territory, including Fort Mackinac to the United States.

On this day in 1888, the lumber town of Hermansville, Michigan, near the Wisconsin border, was destroyed by fire. With no fire department and frozen water supplies, the bucket brigade was unable to stop the flames. In 1978, Michigan raised the legal drinking age back to 21 after it had been lowered to 18 for nearly seven years. The change came after an increase in teenage drinking and automobile accidents, approved by voters in November of that year.

On this day in 1917, Albert Carl Kaltschmidt was convicted for leading a plot to sabotage Detroit businesses, Windsor, Canada, and a railroad tunnel in Port Huron during World War I. Only one explosion succeeded, and Kaltschmidt was fined $20,000, imprisoned for three years, and deported. In 1984, Bay City’s Madonna scored her first Billboard No. 1 single with Like a Virgin, which stayed at the top for six weeks.

Born on this day in 1975 in Detroit, journalist and MSU alum Jemele Hill began her career in reporting at Mumford High School before earning a Journalism degree at Michigan State University. Hill rose to fame at ESPN, co-anchoring SportsCenter. In 2019, her tweets criticizing President Trump and MSU Athletics made headlines, but as Hill told WKAR’s Al Martin, it never diminished her Spartan pride.

Born on this day in 1808, Laura Smith Haviland became a prominent abolitionist in Michigan. She and her husband founded the Raisin Institute in 1837, a reform school that admitted children of all races, creeds, and sexes—likely Michigan’s first to admit African Americans. Haviland’s legacy is honored with a statue at the Lenawee County Historical Museum, inscribed as “A Tribute to a Life Consecrated to the Betterment of Humanity.”

In 1887, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performed its first concert in its subscription season at the Detroit Opera House, featuring works by Liszt, Gottschalk, Berlioz, and Beethoven. It later became the first orchestra to broadcast a performance on the radio. On this day in 1856, celery was introduced to Michigan at a banquet in Kalamazoo to honor firefighters, sparking interest in the crop and earning the city the nickname “Celery City.”

On this day in 1798, Michigan’s first American election was held in the Northwest Territory, with Solomon Sibley defeating James May amid accusations of voter bribery. In 1908, Lansing introduced the first factory-built, motorized fire engine, a milestone that would soon be adopted by manufacturers, though Detroit didn’t fully retire its horse-drawn fire engines until 1922.

Born on this day in 1808, Kinsley Scott Bingham served as Michigan's 11th governor, U.S. Representative, and Senator. He signed the legislation creating Michigan’s first agricultural college, which later became Michigan State University. In 1909, Detroit’s prominent citizens, with help from the Wright brothers, founded Michigan’s first aero club and conducted Detroit's first airport survey—by car.

On this day in 1819, Michigan’s first surveyed road, Pontiac Road, opened, with wooden planks connecting Detroit to Pontiac, charging tolls for carts and cattle. In 1935, 15,000 people gathered at University of Detroit Stadium for the NFL Championship, where the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants 26-7, securing their first championship. The win was a bright spot for Detroit during the Great Depression, with each player earning $7,207, equivalent to about $162,000 today.

In 1983, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, setting an NBA record for the highest-scoring game. Pistons center Bill Laimbeer missed a free throw with seconds left, allowing Isiah Thomas to tie the game and force overtime. In 2003, Michigan State faced the University of Kentucky at Ford Field in Detroit's Basketbowl, setting a record for the most-attended basketball game with 78,000 spectators; Kentucky won 79-74.