1. On October 8, 1896, the Dow Chemical Company was founded in Midland, Michigan by Herbert H. Dow. The company would go on to become a global leader in chemical manufacturing and innovation.

2. In 1971, the Detroit Pistons played their first preseason basketball game at the new Pontiac Silverdome, which would become their home court for the next decade.

3. October 8, 1918 saw the deadliest day of the Spanish flu epidemic in Michigan, with 505 deaths reported statewide. The flu would go on to infect an estimated 27% of the state's population, resulting in over 15,000 deaths.

4. On this day in 2005, the Detroit Tigers played their final game at Tiger Stadium, the team's home field for over 80 years. The stadium is now a designated historic site and a beloved symbol of Detroit's sports history.

5. In 1964, the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research conducted one of the most comprehensive surveys of American political attitudes in history, known as the American National Election Study. The data collected from this study has been used by political scientists and researchers around the world to better understand the political behaviors and beliefs of Americans.