Today marks the birthday of Detroit Tiger outfielder Jim Northrup, born in Breckenridge, MI, in 1939. He was key to the 1968 World Championship team, leading in hits and RBIs and clinching the title with a triple in Game 7. On this date in 1975, Michigan State University professor Jack H. Hetherington humorously credited his Siamese cat, F.D.C. Willard, as a co-author in his paper on atomic exchange effects, delighting the academic community.

Born on this day in 1864, Henry Bourne Joy envisioned uniting the coasts through the automobile. As the son of a Michigan Central Railroad president, he championed the creation of one of America's first coast-to-coast concrete roads, which became the Lincoln Highway in 1913. Joy also brought the Packard Motor Car Company to Detroit, where it thrived for nearly 50 years before merging with Studebaker in the 1950s.

Born on this day in 1893, Harley J. Earl became the first head of design for General Motors, introducing the concept car as a vital design tool and marketing strategy. In 1976, the comic strip "Cathy" debuted, created by Midland, Michigan's Cathy Guisewite. This pioneering strip humorously depicted the title character's struggles with love, work, and her overbearing but caring mother, running for 34 years.

On this day in 1945, UAW workers began a 113-day strike against General Motors, advocating for wage increases in the wake of World War II. Fast forward to 2005, when hockey took a backseat as Detroit Red Wings player Jiri Fischer collapsed on the ice with a heart rate of 300 beats per minute. Team doctors performed CPR, reviving him after his heart flatlined for 24 seconds, ultimately saving his life.

In 1966, the MSU Spartans faced Notre Dame in a highly anticipated college football showdown, which ended in a 10-10 tie as the Fighting Irish opted to run out the clock. Fast forward to 2004, when a fight erupted between the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. After a fan threw a cup at Pacers forward Ron Artest, he charged into the stands, igniting a chaotic melee that led to suspensions for nine players and criminal charges for several individuals.

On this day in 1883, railroads established American time zones, assigning Michigan to central time, although Detroit resisted until 1900. In 1931, the state legislature adopted eastern time to provide more evening daylight. Additionally, 1927 marked the birth of Detroit’s Hank Ballard, an early rock and roller whose song “The Twist” gained worldwide fame after being re-recorded by Chubby Checker in 1958.

In 2006, Bo Schembechler, the winningest coach in University of Michigan football history, passed away at 77 while filming a segment for an upcoming Michigan-Ohio State game. With a record of 194 wins, 48 losses, and 5 ties, Schembechler left a lasting legacy, famously summarized by player Andree McIntyre after their 1986 Big Ten Championship: “Those Who Stay Will Be Champions.”

Born on this day in 1942, dancer Donna McKechnie from Pontiac rose to fame on Broadway, winning a Tony in 1976 for her role as Cassie in A Chorus Line. In 1979, activist Cesar Chavez addressed the Michigan Legislature, advocating for migrant farm workers during a UFW boycott of “Red Coach” Lettuce. His impact was later honored in 2019 when a road in Old Town Lansing was renamed in his honor.

On this day in 1929, the Ambassador Bridge opened as the longest suspension bridge in the world at 7,490 feet, built with 21,000 tons of steel. On November 15, 1985, a bomb from the Unabomber injured a research assistant at the University of Michigan. Theodor Kaczynski, known for his bombing campaign against modern technology, killed three people and was captured after his manifesto led to his identification by his brother.