Michigan Minute

1846: Ernestine Rose became the first woman to address the all-male Michigan legislature, advocating for women's suffrage. 2010: The iconic voice of Detroit Tigers baseball, Ernie Harwell, passed away, ending a 42-year career as a beloved broadcaster. Harwell's legacy lives on through his donated sports memorabilia collection to the Detroit Public Library.

2017: A rare Placoderm fossil was unearthed in Alpena, fascinating paleontologists from the University of Michigan. 1921: Boxing legend Sugar Ray Robinson, born Walker Smith Jr., left an indelible mark on the sport, hailing from Detroit and achieving six world championships across welterweight and middleweight divisions.

1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson unveiled his ambitious "Great Society" plan at the University of Michigan's commencement, outlining key initiatives like Medicare and the Civil Rights Act. 1844: Elijah McCoy, born to escaped enslaved parents in Canada, became renowned for his steam engine oil lubrication invention, inspiring the phrase "The Real McCoy."

1926: The Ford Motor Company initiated a groundbreaking change, transitioning to a five-day, 40-hour work week for its automotive factory workers. Led by Edsel Ford's vision for employee well-being, the move aimed to enhance work-life balance and family time.

1935: After 88 days, 4 hours and a bit more, a walking competition in Jackson nets its winners $1000 amid the Great Depression. 1954: Detroit Metropolitan Airport launches its first passenger flight.

1835: Early fighting about the Michigan-Ohio border flares up between Michigan militia and Ohio surveyors. 2004: The final Oldsmobile Alero rolls off the line at GM's Lansing Car Assembly Plant, ending the historic brand of Oldsmobile.

1887: Political corruption leads to the first expelling of a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, Milo Dakin. 1896: Detroit Tigers have their first official game with the team name of the Tigers.

1764: Detroit branch of Masonic lodge chartered. 1833: Steamboat Michigan launches from Detroit and sails to ports along the Great Lakes during its 13-day maiden voyage.

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."