Events

The Erie Canal officially opened on this day in 1825, greatly facilitating the transportation of passengers and freight between the eastern seaboard and Michigan ports. 92,232 acres of land in the Michigan Territory was sold in 1825, leading to a population explosion, and putting it on the path to statehood.

The new Grand Rapids Amtrak Station was dedicated on this day in 2014. The new station was attached to an existing transit facility in downtown Grand Rapids. It serves as an intermodal terminal, housing intercity passenger rail, intercity bus, and local transit.

Stevie Wonder released his 15th studio album, Talking Book, on this day in 1972. The album's first track, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, hit No.1 on the charts, and earned Wonder his first Grammy Award.

Gordie Howe wore the #9 on his Detroit Red Wings uniform for the first time on this day in 1947. Prior to that, he had worn 17, but switched to 9 so that he could have a lower berth bed on the train during road trips. At that time, lower sweater numbers got the larger and more

Isiah Thomas plays his first game for the Detroit Pistons. The #1 draft pick out of Indiana scores 31 points and helps lead the Pistons to a fourth quarter comeback to defeat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, 118-113.

On this day in 1962, the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge opened to traffic. Today, itis the tenth-busiest passenger crossing on the Canada–United States border, and the only land crossing for almost 700 miles. It connects the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario.

The first vehicles crossed the Mackinac Bridge on this day in 1957. The engineering marvel took 3 years to construct. It weighs over a million tons and has 42,000 miles of wire in its main cables.

After laying in repose in Montgomery, Washington D.C. and Detroit, the funeral service for civil rights activist, Rosa Parks, was held at the Greater Grace Temple Church in Detroit on this day in 2005. It lasted seven hours, after which the Michigan National Guard laid the U.S. flag over the casket and carried it to a horse-drawn hearse

On this day in 1930, the nearly mile-long Detroit-Windsor Tunnel opened to traffic beneath the Detroit River. The first passenger car through the tunnel, which opened a year ahead of schedule, was a 1929 Studebaker. To this day it is the only underwater tunnel for vehicles in the world, that connects two nations.

Cora Mae Brown of Detroit was elected to the Michigan Senate on this day in 1952. Brown had served as a Detroit Police officer before getting a law degree from Wayne State University. She was the first African-American woman to serve in the Michigan Senate.

Michigan's first female Attorney General, Jennifer Granholm, was elected as the state's first female Governor on this day in 2002. Granholm, a Democrat, served two terms from 2003-2011.

On this day in 1998, President Bill Clinton declared part of Detroit an “Automobile National Heritage Area.” The designation restricted land use and drew attention to what Michigan Congressman John Dingell called “the automobile’s contribution to our history and economic strength and the role of organized labor in that history.”

Democrat Debbie Stabenow defeated incumbant Republican Spencer Abraham to become the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Michigan on this day in 2000.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to students at the University of Michigan about the importance of civil disobedience on this day in 1962. In the late-1960s, the university's Board of Regents would pass a resolution memorializing King, who was assassinated in April 1968.

The famous Ford Rotunda in Dearborn was destroyed in a massive fire on this day in 1962. At the height of its popularity in the 1950s, some 1.5 million people visited the Rotunda each year, making it the fifth most popular tourist attraction in the U.S. (behind Niagara Falls, Smokey Mountain National Park, the Smithsonian, and the Lincoln

A small family-owned company called the Upton Machine Company, opened in Benton Harbor, Michigan on this day in 1911. It started out making washing machines and would later be known as Whirlpool, the world’s leading global manufacturer of home appliances.

Later known as the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, mailed a pipe bomb to James V. McConnell of Ann Arbor on this day in 1985. Two people were injured when the package was opened three days later. McConnell, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, which Kaczynski attended in the mid-1960s, was standing nearby and was not hurt.

A 4-day blizzard with hurricane-force winds that ravaged the Great Lakes, finally subsided on this day in 1913. The storms sunk or destroyed 18 ships and stranded 19 more. It was the deadliest and most destructive disaster on the Great Lakes. The loss in souls was in the hundreds while the value of ships and cargo tallied

The Niles-born Dodge brothers produced their first automobile on this day in 1914. They had previously made auto parts for other companies like Ford. By 1920, the year in which both brothers died, Dodge was one of the industry’s largest companies. The Dodge brand was purchased by Chrysler Corporation in 1928 and remains a division of Fiat-Chrysler

The Ambassador Bridge opened to traffic on this day in 1929. It connects Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. For nearly two years the suspension bridge, which is 1,850 feet between towers, was the longest of its time in the world. It would be eclipsed by the George Washington Bridge in New York.

The Greatest Hits album by The Temptations was released on this day in 1966. Recorded at Hitsville USA in Detroit, it contained songs like Aint Too Proud to Beg, My Girl, and The Way You Do the Things You Do, and became the Billboard R&B/Soul Album of the Year in 1967.

Troy-based Kmart purchased the Sears department store chain in a surprising $11 billion deal on this day in 2004. The merger lead to Kmart's headquarters leaving Michigan for Illinois. The move was said to be an attempt to better compete with Wal-Mart, but both brands would continue to struggle and close stores.

Fr. Solanus Casey was Beatified by the Catholic Church in front of a crowd of 60,000 at Ford Field in Detroit on this day in 2017. The ceremony marks the final step prior to sainthood. He is best known for tending to the poor and disenfranchised, especially through the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit.

In an infamous game to determine the #1 ranking in college football on this day in 1966, first-ranked Notre Dame and second-ranked Michigan State played to a 10-10 tie at Spartan Stadium. The Irish, per coach Ara Parseghian’s instructions, ran out the clock at the end of the game instead of passing to score and risking an interception.

Milwaukee & Northern Railroad completed the line from Milwaukee into Champion, Michigan, about 30 miles west of Marquette, on this day in 1887. The town, named for the Champion Mine, was at the time a bustling mining center of approximately 2,500 people. Today it is a quiet home to around 250 full-time residents.

The first Detroit to Fort Gratiot service on the Chicago, Detroit & Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railway took place on this day in 1859. At age 12, future inventor, Thomas A. Edison worked on this line as a “candy butcher.” He was raised in the Port Huron area and selling candy on the train was one of

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on this day in 1963. After extending condolences to the president's family on behalf of the people of Michigan, Governor Romney urged, "Let us unite behind our new president and give him our loyal support. Our grief should renew our dedication to serve our country."

One this day in 1953, radar operators near Sault Ste. Marie identified an unusual target near the Soo Locks. An F-89C Scorpion jet from nearby Kinross Air Force Base was scrambled to investigate. On radar, the F-89 appeared to merge with the unidentified object, but only one emerged and headed north. The F-89 and its two-man crew

Todd Beamer was born in Flint on this day in 1968. Beamer was a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked as part of the September 11 attacks in 2001. He was one of the passengers who attempted to regain control of the aircraft from the hijackers, and prevented the plane from striking its alleged

In 1837 the State of Michigan proposed public funding for internal improvements, primarily railroads and canals, using federal funds and the states’ share of public land sales. Not long after, an economic depression known as the Panic of 1837 hit, making it difficult to raise adequate funds. Thus, train operations between Detroit and Battle Creek did not

Preacher, abolitionist, and women’s rights advocate Sojourner Truth died in Battle Creek, Michigan on this day in 1883. Truth was born into slavery as "Isabella." Bought and sold four times, until she escaped with her baby in 1826, she devoted her life to fighting for human rights. Though she traveled a great deal, she made her home in Battle

Founded by J.L. Hudson's, the legendary department store, Detroit's Thanksgiving Day Parade rolled down Woodward Avenue for the first time on this day in 1924. The first iteration featured horses pulling a float decorated with Mother Goose, four papier-mâché heads and seven marching bands. The tradition has grown considerably over the years.

The Detroit Lions played their final game at Tiger Stadium on this day in 1974, before a Thanksgiving Day crowd of 51,157 and a national viewing audience of 35 million. They subsequently moved to the Pontiac Silverdome, where they played until Ford Field opened in 2002.

After enduring 20-ft swells and 60-mph winds, the Daniel J. Morell came apart during a brutal storm in Lake Huron on this day in 1966. The 600-ft ship sank and 32 of 33 crew members perished. Several other ships were run aground and severely damaged from the icy gale winds in the same storm.

On this day in 1927, Ford Motor Company announced its new lineup of cars, which were meant to replace the Model T, a vehicle that was believed to have made Henry Ford the richest man in the world at that time. The Tudor Sedan sold for $495 and the Roadster sold for $385. Production would grow from