1. The deadliest bombing in Michigan history occurred on April 19, 1995. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols detonated a bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring over 680 others. McVeigh was later executed for his role in the attack.

2. On April 19, 1974, Michigan Governor William Milliken signed a law lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. The change was part of a nationwide trend that eventually led to the passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, which raised the minimum age back to 21.

3. The University of Michigan's iconic bell tower, known as Burton Memorial Tower, was dedicated on April 19, 1936. The tower stands 212 feet tall and is home to a set of 53 bells that are played regularly by the University's carillonneur.

4. On April 19, 1815, the steamship Walk-in-the-Water began its maiden voyage from Buffalo, New York to Detroit. The ship was the first steam-powered vessel to operate on the Great Lakes and helped to usher in a new era of transportation and commerce in the region.

5. In 1837, the Michigan territorial legislature ratified the state's first constitution on April 19, paving the way for its admission to the Union the following year. The constitution established the foundations of the state's government and provided for a system of public education and internal improvements.