Michigan Minute

On this day in 1903, Buick, now a division of GM, was incorporated in Detroit. David Dunbar Buick and Walter L. Marr built the first automobile to be called a Buick just before the turn of the century, but the company wasn’t incorporated until three years later. And in 1930, the world’s first recorded identical quadruplets were born at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. Named Edna A., Wilma B., Sarah C., and Helen D., after Edward W. Sparrow Hospital, the sisters became local celebrities. Their father, Carl Morlok, was hired as Lansing city constable and won reelection by a landslide in 1931.

On this day in 1846, Michigan outlawed the death penalty, becoming the first government in the English-speaking world to do so. Capital punishment was later banned in Michigan’s state constitution in 1964. And in 1929, Michigan’s first Holland Tulip Time was held. The idea was pitched by high school biology teacher Lida Rogers to the Women’s Literary Club, leading to the annual celebration of the famous Dutch flower. Tulip Time wasn’t held during World War II or in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned in 2021.

On this day in 1866, Frederick Douglass visited Ypsilanti, Michigan, a hub of the Underground Railroad with a sizable Black community. He spoke about Lincoln’s assassination and shared anecdotes from his meetings with the President during the Civil War. And today in 1881, Julius Ropes discovered gold near Ishpeming, Michigan. Two years later, he opened the only profitable gold mine east of the Mississippi River, which operated until 1991.

On this day in 1986, Top Gun opened and became a smash hit. Written by Michigan State professor Jim Cash and his former student Jack Epps Jr., the film was a product of their remote collaboration. And today in 2016, John Willie Jordan of Farmington, Michigan, received the Congressional Gold Medal. Jordan was one of the first Black Americans to join the Marines in the 1940s, serving as one of the Montford Point Marines. He reflected, “I thought I had been forgotten.”

On this day in 1857, Michigan Agricultural College held its first classes. Established by the Michigan Legislature two years earlier, the college initially offered only agricultural studies. Enrollment was just 63 students, a stark contrast to the tens of thousands at Michigan State University today. And in 1925, Sophie Kurys, known as ‘The Flint Flash,’ was born. Playing for the Racine Belles in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, she stole over one-thousand bases in her career. In 1946, she set a record with 201 stolen bases in 203 attempts, a feat still unmatched in MLB. Kurys played in skirts on gravel infields, embodying both grace and athleticism.

On this day in 1950, Stevie Wonder, the legendary musician and Motown icon, was born in Saginaw, Michigan. From his chart-topping debut at age 13 to winning 25 Grammy Awards, Stevie has left an indelible mark on music history.

On this day in 1891, Detroit’s streetcar employees unionized. Starting in April, local transit workers picketed the Detroit Street Railway and Grand River Railway companies, leading to a violent 3-day riot. They sought a 10-hour workday instead of 12. After Mayor Hazen Pingree intervened, an agreement was reached on May 12, recognizing the new union.

On this day in 1978, Margaret Brewer, a native of Durand, became the Marine Corps’ first woman brigadier general. Inspired by the Iwo Jima flag raisers, she joined the Marines after graduating from the University of Michigan. And in 1875, Harriet Quimby, the first licensed American female pilot, was born in Arcadia, Michigan.

On this day in 1815, Eliza Seaman Leggett, a key member of the Underground Railroad, was born. Her Michigan home welcomed many enslaved people and notable abolitionists. A fighter for women's suffrage and public water availability, she also supported American literature. In 2003, she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.

On this day in 1959, Mike and Marian Ilitch opened their first Little Caesars restaurant in Garden City, Michigan. Mike, a former Detroit Tigers farm team shortstop, turned to pizza after an injury. Their $10,000 investment grew into the world's largest carry-out pizza chain, enabling them to own other businesses in food, sports, and entertainment.