1. On December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, officially ending the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. Although the treaty was signed in Europe, it had a significant impact on Michigan's history, as the territory had been a major battleground during the war.

2. In 1913, one of the deadliest natural disasters in Michigan's history occurred on December 24-25. A massive blizzard swept across the state, with winds reaching up to 80 miles per hour and snowdrifts as high as 20 feet. The storm caused over 350 deaths and millions of dollars in damage.

3. On December 24, 1914, the first known Christmas tree farm in the United States was established by W. V. McGalliard in Munger, Michigan. Today, Michigan remains one of the top Christmas tree producing states in the country.

4. Construction on the Mackinac Bridge, which spans the Straits of Mackinac and connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, began on December 24, 1954. The project would take over three years to complete and would become a symbol of Michigan's engineering and architectural prowess.

5. On December 24, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald, a massive Great Lakes freighter, sank in Lake Superior during a severe storm. All 29 crew members died in the tragedy, which has since become the subject of songs, books, and films. The ship's bell was later recovered and is now on display at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.