1. In 1879, the University of Michigan held its first intercollegiate football game on September 19 against Racine College. Michigan won the game 1-0.

2. Governor Fred W. Green signed the Michigan Liquor Control Act on September 19, 1917, which established the state's system of regulating and distributing alcoholic beverages.

3. In 1929, the Detroit Tigers clinched the American League pennant on September 19, the first time the team had won the pennant since 1909.

4. The Mackinac Bridge, which connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, was officially opened on September 19, 1957, after nearly three years of construction.

5. On September 19, 1984, Detroit resident Jerome Cavanagh, who served as the city's mayor from 1962 to 1970, died at the age of 59. Cavanagh is remembered for his efforts to address urban decay and racial tensions in Detroit during the 1960s.