Michigan Minute
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?
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 1 minutes
- Episodes
- 446
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Houdini's Final Act | October 31
On this day in 1926, legendary magician Harry Houdini passed away at Detroit’s Grace Hospital. After being punched unexpectedly in the stomach while unbraced during a Montreal stop on his tour, Houdi…
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Thu 31 Oct 2024
From Dogfights to Ducktails | October 30
On this day in 1943, University of Michigan football star Tom Harmon survived a dogfight over Japanese-occupied China during WWII, earning the Purple Heart and Silver Star. In 1956, 52 boys at Romeo …
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Wed 30 Oct 2024
Road to Success | October 29
On this day in 1901, Roy D. Chapin embarked on a challenging journey from Detroit to New York in a Curved Dash Oldsmobile, overcoming multiple mechanical issues to make it to the Auto Show on time. A…
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Tue 29 Oct 2024
Firsts in Love and Leadership | October 28
On this day in 1912, stunt pilot Art Smith and Aimee Cour made history with the first aerial elopement after crashing their plane en route to Michigan for marriage. In 2013, Matt Wesaw became the fir…
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Mon 28 Oct 2024
Upper Peninsula Milestones | October 27
On this day in 1992, the Keweenaw National Historic Park was established in Calumet, MI, honoring Michigan's rich mining history. Also, in 1876, after witnessing Alexander Graham Bell’s invention, Li…
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Sun 27 Oct 2024
From Jackson to the Erie Canal | October 26
On this day in 1975, Paula Faris, journalist and TV personality for ABC News, was born in Jackson, Michigan. Faris co-anchored Good Morning America from 2014 to 2018 and was an Emmy-nominated panelis…
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Sat 26 Oct 2024
A Day of Firsts in Michigan | October 25
On this day in 1918, Lucy A. Sloan, a Michigan scholar, educator, author, and suffragist, passed away in Mt. Pleasant. Sloan was a champion of women's rights and helped found the first literary socie…
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Fri 25 Oct 2024
The Heroine of Niagara | October 24
On this day in 1901, Annie Edson Taylor, a widowed schoolteacher from Bay City, Michigan, made history by becoming the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel on her 63rd birthday. Desperat…
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Thu 24 Oct 2024
Ballooning Heights and Legal Milestones | October 23
On this day in 1934, Jean and Jeanette Piccard launched a balloon from Dearborn, Michigan, reaching 10.9 miles in altitude before landing in Ohio, accompanied by Jean’s pet turtle, Fleur de Lys. Addi…
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Wed 23 Oct 2024
Harry Callahan & Michigan State's Historic Marker | October 22
On this day in 1912, Detroit-born photographer Harry Callahan was born. Initially working for Chrysler, he shifted to photography after hearing Ansel Adams speak, later earning the National Medal of …
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Tue 22 Oct 2024
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Will Carleton | October 21
On this day in 1977, the stunning Sleeping Bear Dunes, inspired by a Chippewa legend of a mother bear and her cubs, officially became a National Lakeshore. Additionally, 1847 marks the birth of Will …
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Mon 21 Oct 2024
Milo Radulovich and the Red Scare | October 20
In the 1950s, 26-year-old WWII veteran Milo Radulovich, a meteorology student at the University of Michigan, was dismissed from the Army Reserves as a security risk due to his family's background. Ed…
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Sun 20 Oct 2024
Kalamazoo Votes for Education and Political Reform | October 19
On this day in 1903, Kalamazoo voters approved funding for the Western State Normal School, later Western Michigan University, with an impressive 8-to-1 margin. In 1907, Governor Fred Warner pushed f…
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Sat 19 Oct 2024
Celebrating Philately and Willie Horton | October 18
On this day in 1978, the USPS released one of two Christmas stamps in Holly, Michigan, a treat for stamp collectors. Additionally, we celebrate the birthday of Willie Horton, born in 1942. A beloved …
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Fri 18 Oct 2024
Celebrating Queen Naija | October 17
Happy birthday to Queen Naija, born in Ypsilanti in 1995! A singer and YouTuber, she gained fame as a contestant on the 13th season of American Idol. After self-releasing her hit "Medicine" in 2017, …
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Thu 17 Oct 2024
A Day of Public Health and Hockey History | October 16
On this day in 1918, amid the Spanish influenza outbreak, U-of-M students in Ann Arbor received facemasks, while Dr. R. M. Olin upheld a quarantine in East Lansing, prioritizing public health. Meanwh…
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Wed 16 Oct 2024
The Burt Lake Burnout | October 15
On this day in 1900, a dark chapter unfolded for the Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa indigenous peoples in Michigan. After years of treaties with the federal government, a land developer illega…
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Tue 15 Oct 2024
Celebrating Dave DeBusschere | October 14
Born today in 1940 in Detroit, Dave DeBusschere was a dual-sport athlete who played both Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox and basketball for the Detroit Pistons in 1962. He chose baske…
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Mon 14 Oct 2024
Remembering Douglass Houghton | October 13
On this day in 1845, Douglass Houghton, Michigan's state geologist, drowned in Lake Superior. He mapped much of the state and is honored with the namesake of Michigan's tallest waterfall, as well as …
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Sun 13 Oct 2024
The Birth of Gumby | October 12
On this day in 1921, Art Clokey was born in Detroit. While his name may not be widely recognized, his creation, Gumby, is iconic. Clokey spent his childhood playing with mud, which his family called …
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Sat 12 Oct 2024
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