The first telegraph message was sent from Buffalo, New York to Detroit on this day in 1848. An article in the Detroit Free Press said of the event, "Distance and time are overcome by this wonderful invention; thoughts and words prance and leap their rapid strides over the lightning rail-way, and we are enabled to herald to […]

In his only recorded speech as territorial representative to Congress, Father Gabriel Richard asked for funds to build a road from Detroit to Chicago on this day in 1824. He had been elected as a nonvoting delegate of the Michigan Territory to the U.S. House of Representatives for the 18th Congress. Father Richard was the first Catholic

Just 3 years after its creation of Yellowstone National Park, Congress designated Mackinac Island as the country's second national park on this day in 1875. Senator Thomas Ferry introduced the strategic legislation. In addition to the island’s attractive history and natural features, the U.S. government already owned much of the island as part of the Fort Mackinac

WWDT became the first television station in Michigan and the sixth station in the United States to begin service, on this day in 1947. A few weeks later it changed its call letters to WWJ-TV to match its radio broadcast sister station, and is now known as WDIV Channel 4 in Detroit. The station would go on

Second Baptist Church is the oldest black church in the Midwest, and the first in Detroit. Thirteen people who were escaped or freed slaves petitioned the legislature for a church on this day in 1836. They left the white-dominated First Baptist Church, due to consistent racial discrimination. The new church would go on to play a significant

President William Jefferson Clinton became only the second sitting U.S. President to address the Michigan legislature on this day in 1997. Theodore Roosevelt was the first in 1907. Delivering a speech in which he urged adopting national education standards in reading and mathematics and making improvements in a recently passed welfare bill, the president reportedly received a

The automotive industry was hit hard by the Great Depression of the 1930s and many jobs were cut. The Detroit Unemployed Council and the Auto, Aircraft and Vehicle Workers of America called for a protest march to demand change. On this day in 1932, between 3,000-5,000 people set out from Detroit to Dearborn. The plan was to

People all along Michigan's west coast reported seeing strange lights that many believed to be UFOs on this day in 1994. In a recorded conversation between law enforcement and a meteorologist from the National Weather Service, the initially skeptical meteorologist changes his tune when he looks at the radar. He says, “I’m getting it now at about

On this day in 1932 Ford first began production of its revolutionary V-8. The powerful engine was the first of its kind to be designed for an affordable, mass-marketed car. The secretive design process took place in a lab that was once part of Thomas Edison's estate in Florida. Henry Ford had the building moved to Dearborn's

Bay City native, Madonna, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on this day in 2008. She received her honor at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel from singer Justin Timberlake. Madonna holds the record for the most number-ones on all combined Billboard charts, including twelve number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and nine number-one albums

Jurors convicted former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on corruption charges on this day in 2013. He was convicted on 24 federal felony counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud, and racketeering. On October 10, 2013, Kilpatrick was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison.

Abolitionist John Brown liberated 11 slaves and led them to Detroit to seek freedom via a ferry to Canada. On this day in 1859, he met with with Frederick Douglass and local abolitionists George DeBaptiste, William Lambert, and others at William Webb's house in Detroit to discuss emancipation. Douglass favored peaceful means, while Brown favored action. Later […]

The longest nationwide GM strike in history began following the end of World War II, a time in which auto companies had slowed production on consumer vehicles and raised prices. In 1945, more than 320,000 workers went on strike for 113 days. It lasted until this day in 1946. UAW vice president Walter Reuther initially pushed for a 30% wage […]

President Clinton opened the G-7 Jobs Conference at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on this day in 1994. The other nations with leaders present included Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. While in the city, President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, and Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer jogged together on Belle Isle.

On this day in 1861, the state legislature gave Governor Blair broad powers to furnish men "by draft, voluntary enlistment, or otherwise" to serve in a federal army in the event of a rebellion from Southern states. On April 12, the Battle of Fort Sumter began the American Civil War. Soon after, Blair met with state officials […]

During a bout with influenza, Governor Frank D. Fitzgerald died of a heart attack while in his Grand Ledge home on this day in 1939. He remains the only Michigan governor to die while in office. His son, John Warner Fitzgerald also served the State of Michigan, first in the Michigan State Senate and then as a […]

Michigan State University has one of the top nuclear physics programs in the world. The future of the program got even brighter on this day in 2014 when officials broke ground for the Facility for Rare Isotopes (FRIB). Upon completion it would become the world’s most advanced superconducting heavy-ion linear accelerator, expected to draw 1,400 scientists from […]

It may be synonymous with Ann Arbor now, but the University of Michigan was actually founded in Detroit in 1817. It was called the Catholepistemiad (academy of universal knowledge) of Detroit. This was back when Michigan was only a territory so enrollment in the school was modest. Once an official state, the legislature moved to establish a […]

On this day in 1897, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that popular politician and shoemaker, Hazen Pingree, could not serve both as mayor of Detroit and governor of Michigan. Pingree won both elections and was determined to serve in a dual capacity, but the court ruled unanimously that the roles were in conflict with one another and […]

Burton I. Gordon, the head of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, was murdered outside his car in a Detroit parking garage on this day in 1970. The event was only six years after the commission was created. Gordon aggressively strove to enforce the state’s civil rights statutes and made many enemies because of it. No one was […]

In 1932 Edsel Ford and Detroit Institute of Arts director, William Valentiner, commissioned Mexian artist, Diego Rivera, to paint murals for the museum's Garden Court. The only rule was the work must relate to the history of Detroit and the development of industry. The project took approximately 8 months and was unveiled on this day in 1933 […]

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, known to many by the moniker "Dr. Death", went on trial for murder on this day in 1999. He was accused of murdering Thomas Youk, a man suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The charges came after a videotape of Youk’s September 17, 1998 death was broadcast on the CBS television program 60 Minutes. […]

Flint native, and fillmaker, Michel Moore won an Academy Award for his documentary Bowling for Columbine on this day in 2003. The film was written, directed, produced, and narrated by Moore. The film explores potential causes for the Columbine High School massacre of 1999, and other acts of gun violence. It focuses on the background and environment […]

The Detroit Red Wings won the longest game in NHL history on this day in 1936. Mud Bruneteau scored a goal at the 16:30 mark of the sixth overtime period, giving the Wings a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Maroons, who would later be known as the Montreal Canadiens. The Wings won the playoff series in a […]

Viola Liuzzo was a housewife, mother of five, NAACP member, and human cicil rights activist who lived in Detroit. In March of 1965, she heeded the call of Martin Luther King Jr and traveled from Michigan to Alabama. She participated in the successful Selma to Montgomery marches and helped with co-ordination and logistics. Driving back from a trip shuttling fellow activists to […]

Lansing native, Earvin "Magic" Johnson led the Michigan State Spartans to a 75–64 victory over Larry Bird and Indiana State on this day in 1979. The battle was the most watched college basketball game ever, and Johnson was voted MVP of the Final Four. He would go on to be drafted first overall by the Los Angeles […]

Walter Reuther was elected president of the UAW on this day in 1946. Actively involved with the Flint Sit-down Strike in 1936, Reuther also gained recognition when he was beaten by Ford security guards at the Battle of the Overpass in 1937. He narrowly unseated 8-year president, R.J. Thomas by just 125 votes during a convention that […]

On behalf of the United States, Henry Schoolcraft negotiated a treaty with members of the Ojibwe/Chippewa nation that was signed on this day in 1836. The agreement was prior to Michigan's recognition as a state. With this treaty, the tribes ceded an area of approximately 13,837,207 acres in the northwest portion of the Lower Peninsula and the […]

The Michigan House passed a Women’s Suffrage Resolution on this day in 1912. It was a first major step toward granting Michigan Women the right to vote. The bill was passed by a significant majority in a 75-19 vote. According to a Lansing State Journal article published at the time, "It was a somewhat unexpected victory and […]

15-year old Joan Ottenbacher of Richmond, Michigan, donated her kidney to her twin sister, Janice who was in complete kidney failure. Doctors at University Hospital in Ann Arbor performed the surgery on this day in 1964. It was the first human transplant operation in Michigan history. The process took approximately 6 hours and included 16 doctors.

Now, it may be hard to remember a time now when this wasn't the norm, but the Michigan law allowing vehicles to turn right on a red light didn't go into effect until this day in 1976. Vehicles must come to a complete stop at a red light and ensure that there is not a sign prohibiting […]

Voters approved Michigan’s fourth state constitution on this date in 1963. It replaced the 1908 constitution, changing the terms of the governor and state senators to 4 years, and advancing civil rights protection. It is still in place today.

The first of 850,000 Coho salmon were planted in the Platte River in Benzie County on this day in 1966. The salmon were introduced to help the state deal with alewives that had entered the lakes through the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The practice would stimulate the state's fishing economy for decades to come.

Nannette B. Gardner, a wealthy Detroit widow, became the first woman to vote in a Detroit election on this day in 1871. It would be nearly half a century before another woman would be allowed to do the same. She presented the inspectors with flowers.