Last updated on June 16th, 2024
State Symbols
1. Great Seal of Michigan
The Great Seal was adopted in 1835. It’s filled with symbolism: an elk and a moose represent Michigan, a bald eagle depicts the US, and an armed man standing over a lake during sunrise signifies peace.
2. The Wolverine State
Wolverines are actually rare in Michigan today, although the 18th century fur trade might have made them a household name. Others say Ohio likened Michigan to wolverines as an insult during a war, but locals took pride in it. The University of Michigan even uses the wolverine as mascot.
3. State Bird: American Robin
In 1931, Michigan officially declared the American robin as its state bird. Over 370 million of them fly across North America. They are easily identified through their red-orange chests and melodic songs at dawn.
4. State Fossil: Mastodon
In 2002, Michigan declared the Mastodon as the state’s official fossil. The creature looks like a massive elephant with 16-foot tusks and a shaggy coat. A nearly complete skeleton was found in Owosso and is now on display at the Museum of Natural History.
5. State Gem: Chlorastrolite
This green gem is typically found in small sizes of about half an inch or less around the Isle Royale National Park. Alternate names include Isle Royale Greenstone, Lake Superior Greenstone, and Green Starstone. Some call it “Turtle Back” because of its surface pattern.
History
1. Council of Three Fires
North American native tribes called the Council of Three Fires have been living in the area long before Europeans came. The Ojibwe were the “keepers of faith”, the Odawa were the “keepers of trade”, and the Potawatomi were the “keepers of fire.”
2. New France
In 1621, the French landed in the area and engaged in lucrative fur trading. They created settlements, brought in Catholic missionaries, built forts, and colonized the region which they named “The Royal Province of New France.”
3. British Control
In the mid-1700s, France and Great Britain went to war which ended in a British victory. The defeated French agreed to turn over New France as part of the settlement, and this was absorbed in the province of Quebec.
4. Michigan Statehood
Several battles ensued between the British and the US forces before Michigan was finally recaptured for good. In 1837, Michigan became the 26th state admitted into the Union — right after Arkansas and before Florida made the jump.
5. Mass Migration
Michigan’s booming economy in the early 1900s attracted millions of migrants all over the world. By the 1930s, over 30 languages could be heard in public schools across the state. It led to exceptional cultural diversity and an influential artistic community.
Famous Celebrities
1. Diana Ross
Diana Ross was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1944. In high school, she took classes in tailoring, modelling, and cosmetology to become a fashion designer. Instead, she became an iconic singer with over 100 million records sold worldwide.
2. Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1950. Despite becoming blind shortly after birth, he showed remarkable skills that led to a music contract at age 11 and a No.1 hit at age 13. He has the most Grammy awards by a solo artist with 25.
3. Madonna
Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan in 1958, where her father was an engineer at Chrysler and General Motors. She received a dance scholarship for college, but dropped out and relocated to New York with $35 in her pocket. The rest is history for the “Queen of Pop.”
4. Magic Johnson
Earvin “Magic” Johnson was born in Lansing, Michigan in 1959. He is widely regarded as the greatest point guard in the history of the NBA. During his 13-year stint with the LA Lakers, he won 5 titles and earned 3 MVP awards.
5. Serena Williams
Serena Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1981. As a professional tennis player, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and over $94 million in total prize money — the most for any female athlete thus far.
Inventors and Entrepreneurs
1. Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh made the first nonstop solo flight from New York to Paris in 1927 when he was just 25. The native of Detroit was an aviator, an inventor, and a military officer. His feat led to a boom in the aviation industry.
2. Larry Page
Larry Page is a co-founder of Google with a net worth of $104 billion as of 2022. He was born in Lansing, Michigan where both his father and mother taught computer subjects. The PageRank algorithm that evaluates and sorts search results was named after him.
3. Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer replaced Bill Gates as Microsoft CEO in 2000 and held the position until his retirement in 2014. During his tenure, the company doubled its profits and tripled its sales. He was born in Detroit and raised in Farmington Hills.
4. John Harvey Kellogg
John Harvey Kellogg is known for inventing the corn flakes cereal that became a breakfast staple in American homes. It was originally developed as “anaphrodisiac” food for the Battle Creek Sanitarium which he managed, but former patients loved it so much they continued to consume it after discharge.
Notable Places
1. Henry Ford Complex
It’s one of the biggest museums in the US at 12 acres and 1.7 million annual visitors. The collection includes Thomas Edison’s laboratory, John F. Kennedy’s limousine, the Wright Brother’s bike shop, the Rosa Park bus, Abraham Lincoln’s chair, and other historical artifacts.
2. Meyer May House
Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Meyer May House in Grand Rapids Michigan. It’s far from the typical Victorian mansion of the 1900s. Instead, it’s a masterpiece of the Prairie style with a T-plan, hip roofs, pale brick, and art glass windows.
3. Fisher Building
This art deco skyscraper is a National Historic Landmark. It would’ve had more towers if not for the Great Depression. In World War II, the gold-tiled roof was covered with asphalt to hide from enemy bombers. Since they couldn’t remove the asphalt, colored lights now give it a golden appearance every night.
4. Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland
Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland looks like a massive Swiss chalet with festive trims. It’s the biggest Christmas store in the world with over 2 million annual shoppers. Outside are a giant snowman and Santa Claus, while inside are 800 animated figurines and over 50,000 products.
5. Michigan Stadium
“The Big House” in Ann Arbor is the football stadium for the University of Michigan. It’s the largest in the US with a seating capacity of 107,601. Only India’s Narendra Modi Stadium and North Korea’s Rungrado 1st of May Stadium are bigger.
Major Companies
1. General Motors
In 1900, William C. Durant was the largest manufacturer of horse-drawn carriages. He didn’t like cars at first, but the shrewd businessman formed General Motors which became the biggest US automaker. GM owns the brands Cadillac, GMC, Buick, and Chevrolet.
2. Dow, Inc.
In 1897, Herbert Henry Dow was a humble chemist who sold bleach. Competition forced him to diversify into agricultural chemicals, dyes, chlorine, magnesium, plastics, and other products. Now the company that bears his name is one of the 3 largest producers of chemicals in the world.
3. Whirlpool
Whirlpool started as a small producer of electric clothes washers in 1911. Now it is one of the best-known brands of home appliances around the world. The company has approximately 78,000 employees, over $20 billion in total assets, and more than $19 billion in annual revenues.
4. Ally Financial
Ally Financial is one of leaders in car financing in the US with more than 1.4 million annual loans, 4.5 million lease customers, and 2 million depositors. It began as a financial services arm of General Motors but eventually became a separate bank holding company.
5. Steelcase
In 1912, Peter Wege started the Metal Office Furniture Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From filing cabinets and fireproof safes, the product catalog gradually expanded until the company established itself as an industry leader in the 1960s under the name “Steelcase”.
Culture
1. National Cherry Festival
Every summer since 1925, people flock to Traverse City in Michigan to see the cherry blossoms. It features a Cherry Royale Parade, pie-baking contests, and other activities. In 1987, the world’s largest cherry pie was featured here at 17 ft 6 in and 28,350 lbs.
2. Summer Beer Festival
Michigan is home to many breweries. They gather every year to celebrate the Summer Beer Festival at the Riverside Park of Depot Town. Hundreds of local beers are available for sampling while guests listen to live music and eat great food.
3. Traverse City Film Festival
The festival helps great independent films and documentaries get the recognition they deserve. It was co-founded by Oscar-winning director Michael Moore. The festival helped revive Michigan’s historic State Theatre and the Con Foster Museum.
4. Motown Records
Detroit was not just the center of the car industry. It had a distinct sound led by African-American artists called “Motown” (from “motor town”). These include The Temptations, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, The Jackson 5, and Smokey Robinson. The original recording studio now houses the Motown Museum.
5. Detroit Pistons
Michigan’s professional basketball team, the Detroit Pistons, has won the NBA championship 3 times. Among its notable players are Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Allen Iverson, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, and Chris Webber.
Facts about Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, the capital of Michigan is located in Ingham County. Some portions of the city also extend into Eaton and Clinton Counties.
Lansing is the sixth largest city in Michigan.
Did you know that Lansing is the birth place of basketball player Magic Johnson and was also the boyhood home of Malcolm X. Larry Page, Google’s co-founder also lived in Lansing.
Before Lansing, Detroit was the state’s capital. In 1847, Lansing became the new state capital of Michigan ten years after Michigan became a state.
It is interesting to note here that at the time when Lansing was made the state’s capital, the city had only 20 residents.
Lansing is the only U.S. state capital, among the 47 located in counties, that is not also a county seat. (the county seat of Ingham County is the city of Mason)
Lansing has a Midwestern humid continental climate. The monthly daily average temperature for July is 21.9 degrees Celsius and that for January is -4.8 degree Celsius.
A notable incident in the history of Lansing happened on September 26, 1963, when a 12 year old female elephant, rebelled against her trainer in a shopping center, and escaped into the streets. It is said that the elephant was further provoked by the crowd which led the elephant to ultimately destroy property worth thousands of dollars and injure a 67 year old man. The elephant was finally shot by Lansing police.
Every year in November on Friday before Thanksgiving, the annual Silver Bells in the City Electric Light Parade proceeds through the streets of downtown Lansing.
The Michigan State University campus is also home to the oldest continuously operating botanical garden in the country. The garden has more than 5,000 species of plants.
The city was founded by two brothers from Lansing, New York, and that too, on a false promise made to some 16 men who bought the land on the words of these brothers. The brothers who discovered the area named the town Biddle City and sold the plots that never existed. The area they discovered was still covered under water. Those that bought the land arrived in Michigan only to know that they have been scammed. The buyers stayed back and renamed the city after their hometown in New York.
Facts about Detroit, Michigan
Did you know that Detroit is the largest U.S. city on the United States – Canada border?
It is an interesting fact that the Detroit River is actually not a river. It is a straight that connects two larger water bodies. It allows a 28 mile long passage between Lake Huron and Lake Erie.
There are eight places named Detroit in America. These are in Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Maine, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, and Alabama.
Because of the fact that Detroit had more than 20 potato chip companies at one point, Detroit was declared as the Potato Chip Capital of the world. According to some estimates, Detroiters eat 7 pounds of chips a year while the rest of the country eats about 4 pounds annually.
Spreading out over more than 1,400 acres, there is a gigantic salt mine underneath Detroit. The mine which is approximately 1160 feet below the city’s surface, formed as a result of evaporation of a sea covering the region some 400 million years ago.
The world’s first four-way and three-colored traffic lights were installed in Detroit in 1920 and the inventor was none other than the city’s local police officer William Potts. A third color amber or yellow was introduced for the first time.
Detroit is not just “the Motor City” but is also the birth place of the first paved road in America. In 1909, the first concrete highway in the world was built between Six and Seven Mile roads by Wayne County.
