Michigan Minute

WKAR Public Media
Michigan Minute

WKAR’s Jamie Paisley presents stories for each day in Michigan history. From name changes to arcane laws, Michigan Minute covers a variety of true tales from the Great Lake State. Subscribe now! Interested in supporting the Michigan Minute? Click here to donate $20.

  1. 1 HR. AGO

    Jemele Hill: From MSU to Media Icon | December 21

    Born on this day in 1975 in Detroit, journalist and MSU alum Jemele Hill began her career in reporting at Mumford High School before earning a Journalism degree at Michigan State University. Hill rose to fame at ESPN, co-anchoring SportsCenter. In 2019, her tweets criticizing President Trump and MSU Athletics made headlines, but as Hill told WKAR’s Al Martin, it never diminished her Spartan pride.

    1 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Laura Smith Haviland: Michigan’s Abolitionist & Reformer | December 20

    Born on this day in 1808, Laura Smith Haviland became a prominent abolitionist in Michigan. She and her husband founded the Raisin Institute in 1837, a reform school that admitted children of all races, creeds, and sexes—likely Michigan’s first to admit African Americans. Haviland’s legacy is honored with a statue at the Lenawee County Historical Museum, inscribed as “A Tribute to a Life Consecrated to the Betterment of Humanity.”

    1 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    Detroit Symphony’s Debut & Michigan’s Celery Introduction | December 19

    In 1887, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performed its first concert in its subscription season at the Detroit Opera House, featuring works by Liszt, Gottschalk, Berlioz, and Beethoven. It later became the first orchestra to broadcast a performance on the radio. On this day in 1856, celery was introduced to Michigan at a banquet in Kalamazoo to honor firefighters, sparking interest in the crop and earning the city the nickname “Celery City.”

    1 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    Ty Cobb’s Birth & MLK’s Speech at WMU | December 18

    Born on this day in 1886, Ty Cobb became one of baseball’s greatest players and a Detroit Tiger legend, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. On this day in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to 2,000 people in Kalamazoo during a snowstorm, sharing his vision for a brighter future of freedom and justice, saying, “My faith is that somehow this problem will be solved.”

    1 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    Michigan’s First Election & Motorized Fire Engines | December 17

    On this day in 1798, Michigan’s first American election was held in the Northwest Territory, with Solomon Sibley defeating James May amid accusations of voter bribery. In 1908, Lansing introduced the first factory-built, motorized fire engine, a milestone that would soon be adopted by manufacturers, though Detroit didn’t fully retire its horse-drawn fire engines until 1922.

    1 min

  6. 5 DAYS AGO

    Gov Bingham & Michigan’s First Aero Club | December 16

    Born on this day in 1808, Kinsley Scott Bingham served as Michigan's 11th governor, U.S. Representative, and Senator. He signed the legislation creating Michigan’s first agricultural college, which later became Michigan State University. In 1909, Detroit’s prominent citizens, with help from the Wright brothers, founded Michigan’s first aero club and conducted Detroit's first airport survey—by car.

    1 min

  7. 6 DAYS AGO

    Pontiac Road & Lions’ First Championship | December 15

    On this day in 1819, Michigan’s first surveyed road, Pontiac Road, opened, with wooden planks connecting Detroit to Pontiac, charging tolls for carts and cattle. In 1935, 15,000 people gathered at University of Detroit Stadium for the NFL Championship, where the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants 26-7, securing their first championship. The win was a bright spot for Detroit during the Great Depression, with each player earning $7,207, equivalent to about $162,000 today.

    1 min

  8. DEC 14

    Michigan's Frostbitten Convention & Medal of Honor Heroism | December 14

    In 1983, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, setting an NBA record for the highest-scoring game. Pistons center Bill Laimbeer missed a free throw with seconds left, allowing Isiah Thomas to tie the game and force overtime. In 2003, Michigan State faced the University of Kentucky at Ford Field in Detroit's Basketbowl, setting a record for the most-attended basketball game with 78,000 spectators; Kentucky won 79-74.

    1 min
See All (365)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

WKAR’s Jamie Paisley presents stories for each day in Michigan history. From name changes to arcane laws, Michigan Minute covers a variety of true tales from the Great Lake State. Subscribe now! Interested in supporting the Michigan Minute? Click here to donate $20.

Information

  • Creator
    WKAR Public Media
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2024
  • Episodes
    365
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Michigan Minute

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