1. In 1819, the University of Michigan was founded in Detroit as the Catholepistemiad or University of Michigania. It is now one of the top public research universities in the United States.

2. On December 14, 1829, the first steamboat to navigate the Great Lakes, the Walk-in-the-Water, sank near Buffalo, New York in a storm. It had been built in 1818 in Black Rock, Michigan and had made its maiden voyage from Detroit.

3. In 1918, the Michigan Legislature ratified the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol. This amendment led to the rise of organized crime in Michigan and other parts of the country.

4. On December 14, 1939, the Detroit Lions won their second NFL championship by defeating the Cleveland Browns 23-21 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. The Lions had won their first championship in 1935.

5. In 2007, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed into law a ban on smoking in all public workplaces and businesses, including bars and restaurants. The law went into effect on May 1, 2010, and made Michigan the 38th state to enact such a ban.