Michigan Minute

Born in DeWitt, Michigan in 1995, Jordyn Wieber celebrated her birthday today. As part of the Fierce Five, she won gold in gymnastics at the 2012 London Olympics. Wieber later courageously spoke out against abuse by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, contributing to the team receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2018. Also on this day in 1974, the Michigan National Guard welcomed its first female members, with four women from Flint joining in a historic move.

1974: Michigan Governor William Milliken signed the Endangered Species Act, facilitating the recovery of species like the osprey, peregrine falcon, gray wolf, and bald eagle. 1796: Colonel John Francis Hamtramck oversaw the peaceful transfer of Fort Detroit from British to American control, solidifying American authority in the Michigan Territory after the Revolutionary War.

Jacob Merritt Howard, born in 1805, made significant contributions to American constitutional law, despite being less well-known than some Founding Fathers. He played a pivotal role in drafting and passing the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution. Howard's early involvement in the Toledo War, a boundary dispute, preceded his tenure in the Michigan legislature and later election to Congress in 1840. As a U.S. Senator from 1861, Howard collaborated closely with President Lincoln on the abolition of chattel slavery through the 13th Amendment.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1975, Jack White is renowned as a modern music icon. His career highlights include pioneering work with The White Stripes, a band noted for its powerful guitar-driven sound influenced by British punk. In 2001, White and his then-wife Meg gained international acclaim with their breakthrough album "White Blood Cells," featuring the iconic track "Seven Nation Army," which became a stadium anthem and solidified their place in music history.

1924: Long jumper DeHart Hubbard made history as the first Black American to win an Olympic gold medal with a jump of twenty-four feet, five and a half inches. The following year, he set a new world record in Chicago with a jump of 25 feet 10 inches. A University of Michigan graduate, Hubbard was among the eight Black students in the class of 1927 and was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 1979. 1962: Roger Roberts became Lansing's first Black firefighter, serving for eleven years and championing diversity within the Lansing Fire Department.

1933: Michigan Governor William A. Comstock signed the Old Age Assistance Act into law, pioneering a safety net for elderly residents by providing up to $30 for those aged 70 or older who had lived in the state for at least ten years. This program was a precursor to Social Security. 1845: The first issue of the Detroit Daily News was printed, later renamed the Evening News in 1873 and merged with the Detroit Tribune in 1905 to become the prominent Detroit News.

1931: Della Reese, born Delloreese Patricia Early in Detroit, began her journey as a singer and made history by performing as the first gospel singer in Las Vegas casinos. She later gained fame for her role in "Touched by An Angel" and was ordained as a minister, officiating the wedding of her co-star Roma Downey. 1845: The antislavery Fusion Convention in Jackson, Michigan, originally planned indoors, moved outdoors due to large attendance, leading to the formation of the Republican Party.

2002: Michigan eliminated a law that prohibited using profanity in public. This change came after Timothy Boomer, while canoeing on the Rifle River, was issued a ticket for swearing loudly in front of families and a sheriff's deputy. Boomer contested the ticket, leading the Michigan Court of Appeals to rule that swearing is protected speech. Judge William B. Murphy emphasized that prosecuting people for insulting language could potentially criminalize a large portion of the population.

1783: The British retained control of Fort Detroit despite the Revolutionary War's end, holding it for 13 more years. 1859: The Grand Rapids Eagle warned against shooting rifles and fireworks during celebrations, prompted by Professor William D. Bannister's first hot air balloon launch in the city. 1969: Mackinac's first skipping stone contest humorously twisted the traditional saying to "Let he who is without Frisbee cast the first stone," becoming a beloved island tradition.

1959: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Windsor, Canada, and Detroit to participate in the First Annual Freedom Festival. They traveled by train to Detroit and then boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia, sailing from the Detroit River to Lake St. Clair and onward into Lake Huron en route to Chicago. Crowds of Americans and Canadians gathered along the riverbanks to catch a glimpse of the Royal Couple as they passed by on the Britannia. 1828: After serving on the Michigan Territorial Council and naming 15 counties in the state, Henry Schoolcraft was appointed as the First Territorial Librarian of Michigan.