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PODCAST

Michigan Minute

WKAR Public Media

WKAR’s Jamie Paisley presents intriguing stories for each day in Michigan history. From name changes and iconic cities to arcane laws, Michigan Minute covers a wide variety of fascinatingly true tales from the Great Lake State. Interested in supporting the Michigan Minute?

history

All Episodes

1:00

Kalamazoo's Name Change & Detroit's Port | Mar 2

Michigan Minute ·

2025/03/02

On this day in 1836, Governor Stevens T. Mason approved changing the town name from Bronson to Kalamazoo, distancing it from its controversial founder, Titus Bronson. Also, on this day in 1799, Detroit became an official U.S. port of entry, and in 1974, highway speed limits were reduced to 55 mph to save energy.

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Detroit's Icons: K-Mart & Donyale Luna | Mar 1

Michigan Minute ·

2025/03/01

On this day in 1962, the S.S. Kresge Company opened the first K-Mart in Garden City, Michigan, marking the start of a retail empire. Also, on this day in 1966, Detroit-born Donyale Luna became the first Black supermodel to appear on the cover of Vogue Magazine, redefining beauty standards.

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1992 MSU Firebombing & Sunday Baseball Law | Feb 28

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/28

On this day in 1992, ecoterrorist Rodney Coronado struck the Michigan State Campus, setting fire to decades of research in Anthony Hall. In 1907, the Detroit Free Press reported on a successful bill to legalize Sunday baseball in Michigan, thanks to Rep. George Duncan of Detroit.

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1702 Comet, Aggies' First Game & Rosa Parks Statue |...

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/27

On this day in 1702, a comet blazed across the skies over Michigan, startling native Americans and frightening French fur traders. In 1899, Michigan Agricultural College, later MSU, played its first basketball game as the Aggies against Olivet. The game was intense and filled with fouls. In 2013, civil rights activist Rosa Parks was honored with a bronze statue at the US Capitol, the first full-size statue of an African-American woman there.

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Burt's Compass, Record Ban, Minder's Past | Feb 26

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/26

On this day in 1836, William Austin Burt received a patent for his solar compass, which helped survey Michigan accurately despite magnetic interference. In 1954, Michigan Representative Ruth Thompson introduced a bill to ban mailing "obscene" rock and roll records, though it was not adopted. And in 2004, James Minder resigned as CEO of Smith & Wesson after his criminal past as a stick-up man was revealed.

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Clark's Victory, Albion College & Blue Ice | Feb 25

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/25

On this day in 1779, British military governor Henry Hamilton surrendered Detroit to American Colonel George Rogers Clark, leading to the British ceding land west of the Appalachians. In 1861, Albion College was authorized to confer 4-year degrees on men and women, becoming one of the first coed colleges in the Midwest. And in 2018, rare blue ice formed in the Great Lakes, a phenomenon usually seen only in the Arctic.

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Olivet College, Marijuana Ban & Sonny Eliot | Feb 24

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/24

On this day in 1844, Olivet College, Michigan’s first coeducational college and the first to admit black students, was founded. In 1928, Detroit outlawed marijuana, with medical use legalized in 2008 and recreational use in 2018. And in 1943, Sonny Eliot, legendary Detroit weatherman, was shot down over Germany during WWII, later having a 60-year career in TV and radio.

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MSU Admits Women & Soapy Williams Born | Feb 23

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/23

On this day in 1870, Michigan Agricultural College, now MSU, accepted women students for the first time, integrating them into all courses, including fieldwork. Today also marks the birthday of G. Mennen "Soapy" Williams, born in 1911, who served six terms as Michigan Governor, promoted the Mackinac Bridge, and later served on the Michigan Supreme Court.

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George DeBaptiste's Underground Railroad Work | Feb 22

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/22

On this day in 1875, George DeBaptiste, a key figure in the Underground Railroad, passed away in Detroit. Born in 1814, DeBaptiste was never enslaved and served as valet to President William Henry Harrison. He later moved to Indiana and then Detroit, where he continued his Underground Railroad activities, helping many escape to Canada. Detroit now honors his legacy with a historic site marker in Bricktown.

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Detroit Physician, Michigan Troops, Malcolm X Death |...

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/21

On this day in 1849, the Detroit city council called for the election of a City Physician to combat smallpox outbreaks. In 1865, Michigan African American troops helped liberate Charleston, South Carolina, with four Ypsilantians participating. And in 1965, Malcolm X, who spent much of his youth in Lansing, Michigan, was assassinated.

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Hudson Motor Co. Founded & John Glenn's Orbit | Feb 20

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/20

On this day in 1909, eight businessmen in Detroit founded the Hudson Motor Car Company, aiming to produce a car for under $1,000. Their first car rolled out in July of the same year. And in 1962, a crowd at MSU's Kellogg Center watched as John Glenn became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, marking a historic moment in space exploration.

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Ford Ends Internment Order, Smokey Robinson Born |...

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/19

On this day in 1976, President Gerald Ford signed the proclamation “An American Promise,” formally ending Executive Order 9066, which had led to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. And in 1940, Smokey Robinson was born in Detroit. He led the Motown group Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and later had a successful solo career, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

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Michigan Schools, Balloon Voyage, & Olympic Medal |...

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/18

On this day in 1842, the Michigan legislature approved the organization of a public school system in Detroit. In 1977, Karl Thomas from Troy ended a record 18-day solo hot-air balloon voyage across the U.S. And in 2014, Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams, who spent part of her childhood in Detroit, won a silver medal in the two-person bobsled at the Winter Olympics.

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Michigan's First African-American Rodeo Queen at MSU...

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/17

On this day in 2018, Michigan held its 49th Spartan Stampede rodeo and selected its first African-American Rodeo Queen, Khalilah Smith, a Michigan State sophomore. The MSU Rodeo Club, founded in 1969, hosts this three-day event featuring bronco riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping, and barrel racing.

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Michigan's Largest Fish & First US Rep Elected | Feb 16

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/16

On this day in 1974, Joe Maka speared Michigan's largest recorded fish, a 7-foot, 193-pound sturgeon, at Mullett Lake. Also, in 1819, William Woodbridge was elected as Michigan's first member of the US House of Representatives, though he was a non-voting member since Michigan wasn't yet a state.

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Lansing's Incorporation & Motown's Brian Holland |...

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/15

On this day in 1859, Lansing, Michigan, was incorporated as a city after being sold as a non-existent "Biddle City." Also, celebrating the birthday of Brian Holland, a key Motown songwriter born in 1941.

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Nancy Love's Birth, Bank Holiday, Aretha's Hit | Feb 14

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/14

On this day in 1914, Nancy Harkness Love, a pioneer in women's military aviation, was born in Houghton, Michigan. In 1933, Governor William Comstock declared a two-week banking holiday to prevent a rush on Michigan’s banks. In 1967, Aretha Franklin recorded "Respect," which became one of the greatest songs of all time.

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Michigan's 1855 Law & Lansing's Worst Flood | Feb 13

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/13

On this day in 1855, the Michigan Legislature moved to protect escaped enslaved people by prohibiting the use of county jails for their detention. In 1938, Lansing experienced its worst flood in two decades, with streets turning into rivers and significant damage across the city.

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Spanish Flag Over Niles & MSU's Founding | Feb 12

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/12

On this day in 1781, a Spanish force captured Fort St. Joseph, raising Spain’s flag over Michigan. In 1855, Governor Kinsley S. Bingham established The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, later MSU, which became the prototype for land-grant institutions.

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Edison's Birth, Reynolds' Fame & UAW's Victory | Feb 11

Michigan Minute ·

2025/02/11

On this day in 1847, inventor Thomas Edison was born. He acquired 1,093 patents and innovated the phonograph, light bulb, and motion picture camera. In 1936, actor Burt Reynolds was born in Lansing, Michigan. In 1937, GM recognized the UAW as the sole bargaining unit for its workers.

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