Michigan Minute

In 1887, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performed its first concert in its subscription season at the Detroit Opera House, featuring works by Liszt, Gottschalk, Berlioz, and Beethoven. It later became the first orchestra to broadcast a performance on the radio. On this day in 1856, celery was introduced to Michigan at a banquet in Kalamazoo to honor firefighters, sparking interest in the crop and earning the city the nickname “Celery City.”

Born on this day in 1886, Ty Cobb became one of baseball’s greatest players and a Detroit Tiger legend, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. On this day in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to 2,000 people in Kalamazoo during a snowstorm, sharing his vision for a brighter future of freedom and justice, saying, “My faith is that somehow this problem will be solved.”

On this day in 1798, Michigan’s first American election was held in the Northwest Territory, with Solomon Sibley defeating James May amid accusations of voter bribery. In 1908, Lansing introduced the first factory-built, motorized fire engine, a milestone that would soon be adopted by manufacturers, though Detroit didn’t fully retire its horse-drawn fire engines until 1922.

Born on this day in 1808, Kinsley Scott Bingham served as Michigan's 11th governor, U.S. Representative, and Senator. He signed the legislation creating Michigan’s first agricultural college, which later became Michigan State University. In 1909, Detroit’s prominent citizens, with help from the Wright brothers, founded Michigan’s first aero club and conducted Detroit's first airport survey—by car.

On this day in 1819, Michigan’s first surveyed road, Pontiac Road, opened, with wooden planks connecting Detroit to Pontiac, charging tolls for carts and cattle. In 1935, 15,000 people gathered at University of Detroit Stadium for the NFL Championship, where the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants 26-7, securing their first championship. The win was a bright spot for Detroit during the Great Depression, with each player earning $7,207, equivalent to about $162,000 today.

In 1983, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, setting an NBA record for the highest-scoring game. Pistons center Bill Laimbeer missed a free throw with seconds left, allowing Isiah Thomas to tie the game and force overtime. In 2003, Michigan State faced the University of Kentucky at Ford Field in Detroit's Basketbowl, setting a record for the most-attended basketball game with 78,000 spectators; Kentucky won 79-74.

In 1983, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, setting an NBA record for the highest-scoring game. Pistons center Bill Laimbeer missed a free throw with seconds left, allowing Isiah Thomas to tie the game and force overtime. In 2003, Michigan State faced the University of Kentucky at Ford Field in Detroit's Basketbowl, setting a record for the most-attended basketball game with 78,000 spectators; Kentucky won 79-74.

In 1919, the Coed Tap Dance Strike at the University of Michigan began when women were barred from using the Michigan Union taproom, leading men to dance outside with women as guests. In 1979, Detroit's Joe Louis Arena hosted its inaugural event, a basketball game where the University of Michigan defeated the University of Detroit 85-72. In 2000, General Motors announced it would phase out production of Oldsmobile, the nation's oldest automotive brand.

On this day in 1971, a methane explosion in a Lake Huron tunnel killed 22 men. In 1948, Michigan State University students celebrated the school’s Big Ten admission. In 2014, Rep. Klint Kesto proposed to his girlfriend on the Michigan State House floor, with bipartisan cheers when she said yes.

Born on this day in 1813, Zachariah Chandler, a staunch abolitionist and radical Republican, served as Detroit’s mayor and a four-term Michigan senator. On this day in 1887, the Soo Railroad Line, also known as the Iron Horse, reached Sault Ste. Marie, connecting the town year-round. In 1915, after seven years of production, the millionth Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line at the River Rouge plant in Detroit.