Events

The first production the Ford Model T Ford was completed at the company’s Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit on this day in 1908. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford would build some 15 million Model T cars. The innovation of the moving assembly line brought the cost down to a vehicle that many more Americans could afford.

The first production the Ford Model T Ford was completed at the company’s Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit on this day in 1908. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford would build some 15 million Model T cars. The innovation of the moving assembly line brought the cost down to a vehicle that many more Americans could afford.

The cornerstone was laid for the current capitol building in Lansing on this day in 1873. The building was completed in 1879 at cost of $1,510,000, which would be a little over $37 million it today's dollars.

The movie Somewhere in Time starring Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve was released on this day in 1980. It is set on Mackinac Island and spurred a whirlwind of new tourism to the island, including a "Somewhere in Time Weekend" that still happens annually at the Grand Hotel.

Chester Gould's famous comic strip starring Dick Tracy, made its first appearance ever in the Detroit Daily Mirror on this day in 1931. Nearly sixty years later a movie version would be released starring Warren Beatty and Michigan native, Madonna.

Michigan Normal School in Ypsilanti, was dedicated on this day in 1852. The school, the first of its kind west of the Allegheny Mountains, was designed to train teachers. Today it is known as Eastern Michigan University, and still has an outstanding College of Education.

The first regular season Detroit Lions football game to be played in the now defunct Pontiac Silverdome happened on this day in 1975. The games was broadcast on ABC's Monday Night Football, while 80,642 people watched it live in the stadium. Unfortunately, though perhaps not surprisingly, their Detroit Lions lost to the Dallas Cowboys 36-10.

For the first time, Henry Ford’s entire Highland Park automobile factory was run on a continuously moving assembly line on this day in 1913. A motor and rope pulled the chassis past workers and parts on the factory floor. The innovation improved production time of the Model T from 728 to 93 minutes, thereby lowering the price

The same day as the Great Chicago Fire, Michigan experienced a series of simultaneous wildfires on this day in 1871. It seriously damaged the towns of Alpena, Holland, Manistee and Port Huron, burning 2.5 million acres, leaving hundreds of families homeless. While an official tally was never undertaken, it's estimated that hundreds died in the Michigan fires.

The first professional football game was held at Navin Field, later to be known as Tiger Stadium, on this day in 1921. Like the baseball team, Detroit was then known as the Tigers, and they defeated the Dayton Tirangles 10-7. A jazz orchestra was also on hand to add ambience.

Elijah McCoy died on this day in 1929. He was born in Canada, the son of fugitive slaves who had escaped through the Underground Railroad in Detroit. His family later returned to Ypsilanti, Michigan. Having worked on the railroad, he earned notority for his 57 U.S. patents, most having to do with the lubrication of steam engines.

On this day in 1975, Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC, featuring the comedic genius of Detroit native, Gilda Radner. She created legendary characters like Lisa Lubner, Emily Litella, and Roseanne Roseannadana. Her tragic bout with ovarian cancer led to the creation of Gilda's Clubs across the country and the annual Gilda's Laughfest each March in Grand

On this day in 1969, a caller to Detroit radio station WKNR-FM told DJ Russ Gibb about a rumour that Beatle Paul McCartney was dead. Gibb and other callers then discussed it and supposed clues on the air for a lengthy time. The discussion led to a satirical review of Abbey Road published in the Michigan Daily under the headline "McCartney Dead; New Evidence Brought

Detroit's Cobo Hall, which at the time was said to be the largest exhibit center in the world, was dedicated on this day in 1960. Later that week President Dwight D. Eisenhour would visit the hall as it played host to the auto show. It is now a convention center known as Huntington Place.

During an improvised speech at the University of Michigan on this day in 1960, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy proposed what would later become the Peace Corps. The crowds responded to this speech with a petition signed by 1,000 students willing to serve abroad. The university still ranks among the top in the nation for Peace Corps

On this day in 1948, future president, Gerald Ford, married Elizabeth Anne (Betty) Bloomer at Grace Episcopal Church, in Grand Rapids. Betty would go on to become one of the most impactful First Ladies by publicly sharing her struggles with breast cancer and addiction.