1908
At the Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit Henry Ford built over 15 million Model Ts using the production line and it was the longest production run of any automobile model in history until the Volkswagen Beetle exceeded it in 1972.
1920
The first commercial radio station in the United States begins broadcasting regular scheduled programs at station WWJ in Detroit.
1930
A 1929 Studebaker became the first car to pass through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel making it possible to, “pass from one great country to the other in the short space of three minutes,” said Windsor Mayor Fredrick Jackson.
1933
In a remote part of Chippewa County two hundred young men set up Camp Raco Michigan’s first Civilian Conservation Corps.
1935
The United Automobile Workers labor union was founded as part of the Congress of Industrial Organizations. It was known for gaining high wages and pensions for auto workers, it played a major role in the liberal Democratic party.
1936
At the General Motors plant in Flint UAW autoworkers begin a 44 day spur-of-the-moment sit-down strike because of rumors their jobs will be transferred to other plants that have weaker union support.
1941
Michigan becomes the “Arsenal of Democracy” when auto plants transform production line into producing war materials.
1957
The five mile long Mackinac Bridge between the Upper and Lower Peninsula opens to public traffic.
1959
In Detroit Motown Records are founded by record producer and songwriter Berry Gordy Jr.
1963
The new State Constitution is ratified at the April election.
1967
Racial tension was as deadly, and it showed that relations between blacks and whites had not improved much from slavery times. Cities exploded in flames of anger as a series of race riots shook the nation. Detroit rioting was the worst of all, 4 people killed, and hundreds injured.
1974
Gerald R. Ford of Grand Rapids becomes the 38th President of the United States.
1976
To stop the flow of bottles littering Michigan roads a law is passed requiring that consumers pay refundable deposits of drink containers.
1977
New life comes to the downtown Detroit district with the dedication and opening of The Renaissance Center.
1980
The Republican National Convention is held in Detroit.
1981
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum are dedicated in Grand Rapids.
1987
Michigan celebrates 150 years of statehood.
1992
The State Capitol building is fully restored and rededicated.
1997
The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup its first Cup victory since 1955. Lansing celebrates its sesquicentennial as the capital city of Michigan.
1998
Chrysler Corporation merges with the German auto company Daimler-Benz, forming DaimlerChrysler.
2001
Detroit celebrates its 300th anniversary.
2002
A Canadian-American lawyer-politician and a Democratic, becomes the first woman elected as the 47th Governor of the state of Michigan.
2004
The NBA game at the Palace of Auburn hills between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Postons turned into a brawl and after the “Malice at thePalace” five players charged with assault and nine players were suspended.
2005
General Motors announced massive job cuts.
Rosa parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man and sparked the modern civil rights movement, died quietly at the age of 92 with her friends by her side in her Detroit apartment.
2008
The 2008 Stanley cup finals was between the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburg Penguins, and the Red Wings got their 11th Stanley Cup win and trophy.
2009
General Motors announced a cut of 21,000 US jobs as they phasing out the Pontiac brand completely by 2010.
Chrysler filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Court of the Southern District of New York and announced an alliance with the Fiat the Italian car manufacture company.
On Christmas day, Amsterdam Airport Flight 253 to Detroit Metropolitan was the target of a failed al-Qaeda bombing of an international flight, in which the chemical explosives failed to ignite that were hidden in a passenger’s underwear.
2010
The largest oil spill in history of the Midwest happened when a pipeline sprung a leak spilling 800,000 gallons of oil into a creek that flowed into the Kalamazoo River.
2011
The accused “underwear bomber” who tried to blow up Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit goes on trial.
2012
Record profits are reposted from General Motors managers just two years after filing bankruptcy.
The Nigerian “underware bomber” gets a life sentence for attempting to blow up Flight 253 on Christmas day 2009.
Word count 704