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1901: Free lunches in Kalamazoo saloons revoked as the practice had spiraled out of financial control. 1865: Two Lansing cousins found Lincoln Assassin, John Wilkes Booth and co-conspirator David Herold in a barn. -
1838: Mary T. Lathrap, temperance evangelist and co-founder of MI's Women's Suffrage was born. She was also a poet, whose work inspired the aphorism "Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes."
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1948: Amid the start of the Cold War, MSU Student James Zarichny takes a stand and defies the Michigan Senate's Committee on Un-American Activities. -
1912: Detroit Tigers inaugurate playing in the 23,000-seat Navin Field, which would later be rechristened as Tiger Stadium, in a game against Cleveland.
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1912: Glenn T. Seaborg, born in Ishpeming, Michigan, discovered Seaborgium, one of only 13 atomic elements named after people. 1927: WWJ aired the first radio broadcast of a regular season Detroit Tigers baseball game, with the Tigers securing an 8-5 win against Cleveland.
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1837: Grand Rapids saw the publication of its first newspaper, the Grand River Times, after a tumultuous journey involving a shipwreck and a sled dog-assisted transport across ice.
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1893: St. Joseph, Michigan, was struck by a powerful tidal wave, causing widespread damage and described as the first of its kind in years. 1955: Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers made history by becoming the youngest baseball player to win the league batting title, a milestone in his legendary career that spanned over two decades.
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1912: Harriet Quimby, a Michigan native, made history as the first woman to fly solo over the English Channel. 2018: Des Linden, hailing from Brooks, Michigan, clinched victory in the Boston Marathon, becoming the first American woman to win since 1985, amidst a jubilant, rain-soaked crowd.
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1912: The Titanic tragedy unfolded in the North Atlantic, with a Michigan couple, Dickinson and Helen Bishop, among the first to board lifeboats. 1911: The Detroit Tigers played their legendary "Blizzard Game," where heavy snow made baseball challenging. 2002: Byron 'Whizzer' White, once a Detroit Lions star, passed away, leaving behind a legacy as both an athlete and a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
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1960: Motown Records was officially incorporated by Berry Gordy Jr., marking a pivotal moment in music history. From humble beginnings, Motown rose to prominence, producing hits for artists like Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, and Stevie Wonder, transcending racial boundaries and leaving an indelible mark on American music.
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1926: Michigan State University shed its nickname "Staters" in favor of "Spartans," a change catalyzed by sports editor George Alderton. Inspired by the ancient Spartans' valor, this transformation marked the beginning of a legacy in collegiate athletics.
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1825: Lisette Denison became Michigan's first Black woman landowner, purchasing 48 and a half acres in Pontiac. 1955: U-M announced the effectiveness of the polio vaccine. 2016: MSU took steps to combat climate change by ceasing coal burning in their power plants.