On January 25, 1945, Grand Rapids became the first city in the world to add fluoride to its public water supply. The city, along with the U.S. Public Health Service, the Michigan Department of Health, and the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, began a ten-year study to determine the effectiveness of fluoride in the prevention of tooth decay, The city was chosen as a test site because of its large population of school-age children; its closeness to Lake Michigan, which is mostly free of natural fluoride; and its proximity to Muskegon, which served as the control city. By 1955 the study had shown a sixty-five percent reduction in tooth decay and led to the adoption of fluoridation as a accepted public health measure.
Source : The Beginning of Water Fluoridation, Michigan Historical Markers Website.
Source: Michigan History, January/February 2011.
For more information, see Water flouoridation wikipedia entry
For another article, see Eric D. Lawrence, “Some say fluoride fights decay, others say it’s a hazard in water”, Detroit Free Press, June 26, 2011. “In a dramatic reversal of a public health initiative aimed at stopping tooth decay in 1951, city commissioners voted 6-0 last month to stop fluoridation. The action, which city officials say would save more than $40,000 per year, comes as debate over fluoride’s benefits versus its possible adverse effects — ranging from spotted teeth to suspicions that it increases the risk of bone cancer — has gained new attention.”
Community Water Fluoridation: One of CDC’s “10 Great Public Health Achievements of the 20th Century”
Surgeon General in Public Health Reports.
Celebrates the benefits of fluoridation of community water systems in reducing the incidence of tooth decay on the 70th anniversary of the first implementation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Also explains the reasons behind the first revision in fluoride recommendations since 1962.
Hank Greenberg of the Detroit Tigers became the first Jewish player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Over a 13-season career, he hit 331 home runs and batted .313. He lost more than three seasons due to his service in World War II.
Sources :
The first Pro Bowl appearance by a Detroit Lions quarterback in more than 40 years couldn’t have gone much better.
Matthew Stafford played most of the first half of Sunday’s Pro Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium and was one of the game’s standout performers, completing 15 of 25 passes for 316 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
The last Detroit quarterback to play in a Pro Bowl before Matthew Stafford was Greg Landry in 1971.
For the complete article, see Dave Birkett, “Lions’ Stafford shines in first Pro Bowl appearance”, Detroit Free Press, January 25, 2015.
The 1835 Constitution on display at the Michigan Historical Center on Statehood Day in 2013.
On January 26, 1835, Acting Territorial Governor Stevens T. Mason issued an enabling act authorizing the people of Michigan to form a constitution and state government. The Michigan Territorial Council, the unicameral governing body of the Michigan Territory called a constitutional convention in anticipation of statehood. The convention lasted until June 24, and the proposed constitution was adopted by the voters on October 5, 1835, by a 5-to-1 margin. A bill of rights was included in this constitution, though suffrage was granted only to white males over age 21. The constitution established a superintendent of public instruction, an office which still exists today, and the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, as well as the auditor general and the justices of the Supreme Court were to be appointed, not elected.
Happy birthday, Michigan! On January 26, 1837, more than a year after Michigan adopted its first constitution and elected its first governor, President Andrew Jackson signed the bill making Michigan the nation’s 26th state. The delay was caused by a disagreement and subsequent “war” over the port-town Toledo. The compromise that gave Michigan the western two thirds of the Upper Peninsula shaped Michigan’s future of copper and iron riches, as well as timber and other natural resources.
In honor of the event, the Michigan Historical Center annually hosts a special Statehood Day celebration on the Saturday closest to the date. On that day, admission to the Michigan Historical Museum is free, courtesy of the Michigan History Foundation. Normal activities might include playing with toys that children would have enjoyed in 1837; turning wool into yarn; learning about quilt making; exploring Native American life; and snacking on a Michigan birthday cookie. In the Archives of Michigan on the second floor, visitors can view statehood documents, including Michigan’s first constitution.
In 2018, the Michigan History Center’s special celebration started at 10 a.m. and concluded at 4 p.m. and provided the following opportunities:
- Enjoy a slice of birthday cake while listening to folk tunes performed by violinist and ethnomusicologist Laurie Sommers.
- Enjoy historic tunes performed by local legends Acoustic Strings.
- Try out book-making with the Library of Michigan.
- Practice surveying with the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors Reenactment Group.
- Participate in butter-churning, rope-making and other historic craft and trade demonstrations.
- View statehood documents, including Michigan’s first constitution, a letter from President Andrew Jackson and a rare manumission document.
New for 2018! Join our Statehood Day Euchre Tournament. Euchre/Uker/Juker was rising in popularity throughout the United States during the Statehood Era and was one of the most fashionable games in the country by the late 1800s. It remained “on top” until the turn of the century when Bridge began to eclipse its popularity.
For those who can’t make it to Lansing, some of these statehood documents are available to view online at seekingmichigan.org/discover/early-documents.
Can’t attend? Throw your own birthday party for Michigan, celebrating the fact that we became the 26th state on Jan. 26, 1837. Every great party needs a theme and you can never go wrong with dinosaurs. So focus your party around a mastodon theme. For those who have been living in the ice age, the mastodon is our state fossil. Mastodons, which were basically elephants on steroids, roamed Earth until they went extinct about 10,000 years ago. More than 250 mastodon fossils have been found in Michigan. So if you want the mother of all scavenger hunts, take your friends and relatives on a mastodon fossil hunt. Hint: Start in Saline, where mastodons used to hang out.
Get creative
It’s always fun to do some arts and crafts at a birthday party, so get the kids together and try to come up with a new state seal and flag.
Our official state flag looks like two cartoon characters — an elk and a moose — are standing on a teeter-totter, holding a shield that says, “Tuebor,” which means — “Fire Millen!” — in Latin. No, just kidding. It actually means, “I will protect.”
Show off your knowledge
If you want to be the life of your Michigan birthday party, it’s important to know some obscure Michigan facts.
If someone happens to ask you, “Hey, man, do you know our state soil?”
You should not say, “Ketchup and mustard on a bowling shirt.”
Rather, you should say, “Why, of course. It’s Kalkaska soil series, according to Act 302 of 1990.”
And if they ask, “Why the heck do we have a state soil?”
You should say, “I have no idea. Pass me another coney dog and shut up. It’s your turn to bowl.”
Serve up some local flavor
If you are going to have food at your Michigan birthday party, you will look like a real smarty-pants by serving dry black beans, blueberries and pickling cucumbers because Michigan ranks first nationally in the production of all three. You get immediate induction into the Michigan Food Hall of Fame if you include mints, cherries and a pasty. Bring along some Pepto-Bismol because, frankly, it sounds pretty nasty to serve all of that together.
Honor the native people
It is important to remember that Michigan’s first residents were the Ojibwa, Ottawa and Potawatomi American Indians.
So if your friend says, “How do you want to celebrate Michigan’s birthday?”
You can say, “Let’s hit the casino. I mean, um, let’s go to the casino so that we can honor those who came before us. The first Michiganders. The dudes who gave us Thanksgiving football and the casinos.”
Take in sights — or your pop cans
The state motto is: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice.
According to a rumor, this is what somebody mumbled during the first Michigan-Michigan State basketball game, while stuffing his face with a hotdog. He was trying to say, “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.”
So today, on this special occasion, go out and look about you:
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- Michigan has 11,037 inland lakes and the largest is Houghton Lake. This weekend, Houghton Lake celebrates winter with Tip Up Town, an annual event that is nothing more than an excuse to get together, drive snowmobiles really fast, sit in an ice shanty and drink beer.
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- One of Michigan’s top industries is tourism — which means we are pretty good at selling fudge and T-shirts at tourist traps. The other big industry is cars. Our vehicles are incredible. And you have two more days to hit the North American International Auto Show. It ends Sunday. Leave today if you want to get a parking spot before it closes.
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- If you are stuck doing chores today, you can still feel like you are part of the big Michigan birthday party, while celebrating Michigan’s past. First of all, you can go to the grocery store and take back your returnable bottles and cans. Michigan banned throwaway bottles in 1976, one of the big moments in state history, according to a list on the state Web site. Taking back cans was a drag until they came up with those cool, automatic returnable machines, not to mention that magical soap that disinfects your hands and dries in seconds. The state Legislature is still trying to figure out why these machines reject some bottles and cans, for no apparent reason.
So happy birthday, Michigan. Blow out the candles. Open the presents. And revel in everything that makes this state unique.
Source: Jeff Seidel,”Break out the berries and coney dogs, Michigan turns a year older today”, Detroit Free Press, January 26, 2008. Back then Matt Millen was President and CEO of the Detroit Lions from 2001 until week 4 of the 2008 NFL season. His eight-year tenure as head of the franchise led to the worst eight-year record in the history of the modern NFL (31-84, a .270 winning percentage),[4] and resulted in his termination on September 24, 2008. That explains the Fire Millen comment in the article.
Amy Elliott Bragg, “173 years of Michigan statehood”, Night Train Blog, January 26, 2010
Dan Austin, Celebrate Michigan’s 178th birthday with this quiz, Detroit Free Press, January 26, 2015.
On February 15, 1837, the Detroit Free Press carried an article about Detroit celebrating Michigan’s statehood with toasts, speeches, and bonfires. The day began with the firing of a salute of 26 guns and the Brady Guards made an appearance with their splendid uniformed equippage.
American dentist, George F. Green, from Kalamazoo, Michigan invented the first electric dental drill and received a patent for it on January 26, 1875. Green’s drill had an electromagnetic motor and was designed to prevent tooth decay by filing and polishing teeth.
Source : Encyclopedia Britannica
On January 26, 1956, the first share of common stock in the Ford Motor Company was issued to Henry Ford II, who was then president of the auto maker.
On January 26, 1967 (Day 1) a record snow storm started on a Thursday and continued into the weekend, turning Lansing into a frozen, snow-covered ghost town. In all 15.4 inches of snow fell in a single day.
Source : Lansing’s Record Blizzard of 1967 Photo Gallery from the Lansing State Journal.
Addendum : Top Six MSU Closures Due to Snow, Cold, or a Combination
Number 1. The first time the campus was closed was on January 27, 1967, when 26 inches of snow fell on campus.
Number 2. A freak snowstorm on April 3, 1975 dumped 15 inches of wet snow, making roads and sidewalks impassable. Many people weren’t prepared for that kind of weather so late in the spring. It later led to one of the biggest floods in mid-Michigan history about 2 weeks later.
Number 3. The blizzard of ’78 also forced the university to suspend classes, after 24 inches of snow closed MSU for 2 days on January 26 & 27.
Number 4. Cold weather was the reason why MSU suspended classes on January 19, 1994. Temperatures were 18 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of 51 degrees below zero, the second coldest temperature recorded this century. While classes were suspended, the university stayed open.
Number 5. On February 2, 2011, classes were suspended for blizzard conditions that brought nearly a foot of snow, high winds and frigid temperatures. University critical functions were maintained, while electronic services and business operations were done remotely. The National Weather Service called this a “top 10 storm” for Michigan.
Number 6. January 6-7, 2014. After nearly two days of suspended operations, classes at MSU are expected to resume at 5pm Tuesday, marking the sixth time in university history it had to close to due to weather.
Sources:
“Recent MSU Closure Marks 6th Time in University History“, WILX News, Channel 10, January 7, 2014.
Eve Adoulos and Hillary Gatlin, “A History of Snow Days at MSU”, Tales from the Archives: Volume One, Campus and Traditions, 1917.
After 24 inches of snow fell on January 25 & 26, the blizzard of ’78 forced MSU to suspend classes for two days.
Students were not disappointed. According to the 1978 Red Cedar Log, the Goodrich ShopRite round out of beer in less than a day. Campus Corners II also sold out their supply. Dooley’s took the opportunity to offer half-off Blizzard Specials on beer and mixed drinks.
Addendum : Top Six MSU Closures Due to Snow, Cold, or a Combination
Number 1. The first time the campus was closed was on January 27, 1967, when 26 inches of snow fell on campus.
Number 2. A freak snowstorm on April 3, 1975 dumped 15 inches of wet snow, making roads and sidewalks impassable. Many people weren’t prepared for that kind of weather so late in the spring. It later led to one of the biggest floods in mid-Michigan history about 2 weeks later.
Number 3. The blizzard of ’78 also forced the university to suspend classes, after 24 inches of snow closed MSU for 2 days on January 26 & 27.
Number 4. Cold weather was the reason why MSU suspended classes on January 19, 1994. Temperatures were 18 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of 51 degrees below zero, the second coldest temperature recorded this century. While classes were suspended, the university stayed open.
Number 5. On February 2, 2011, classes were suspended for blizzard conditions that brought nearly a foot of snow, high winds and frigid temperatures. University critical functions were maintained, while electronic services and business operations were done remotely. The National Weather Service called this a “top 10 storm” for Michigan.
Number 6. January 6-7, 2014. After nearly two days of suspended operations, classes at MSU are expected to resume at 5pm Tuesday, marking the sixth time in university history it had to close to due to weather.
Sources:
“Recent MSU Closure Marks 6th Time in University History“, WILX News, Channel 10, January 7, 2014.
Eve Adoulos and Hillary Gatlin, “A History of Snow Days at MSU”, Tales from the Archives: Volume One, Campus and Traditions, 1917.
The mating bellow of the bull moose will echo through the deep forests near here this fall if an unusual international animal swap is successful.
Wildlife officials in Michigan have made arrangements to trade 150 of the state’s wild turkeys to provincial officials in Ontario in return for 30 adult moose. The moose are being shipped to a wilderness area 45 miles northwest of this old Lake Superior port town in the hope that they establish themselves and grow in number.
The first moose has arrived and was released from a crate after an overnight truck ride from Algonquin Provincial Park. The new arrival is a 975-pound cow moose pregnant with a calf to be born in the spring.
Moose, the largest member of the deer family, once ranged all across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But, like the elk and wolves that also flourished in the Northern forests, moose fell victim to the post-Civil War boom in timber operations that helped build the cities of the Middle West.
Wildlife Hunted Ruthlessly
Vast stands of timber were leveled, and the wildlife was hunted ruthlessly for sport or meat for lumberjack camps. By the turn of the century, when the forests were finally depleted, moose had been all but eliminated from the Upper Peninsula. Deer, not native to the area, moved in to feed on the scrub regrowth on the logged land.
But an attempt to bring back moose in the late 1930’s failed, partly because of a parasite carried by deer that affected the nervous system and partly because of poaching that was encouraged when meat rationing was imposed in World War II.
But now wildlife biologists say many regrown forests, including some along the northern coast of the Upper Peninsula, have matuured to the point where they have become hostile to deer, whose numbers are dwindling, and ideal for moose. Deer find it difficult to survive the harsh winters here without feeding on the kinds of low vegetation that cannot grow in the shade of tall trees.
Moving the Moose
Wildlife officials hdevised a plan to capture and transfer moose to the Upper Peninsula. Using a light helicopter, they chase the moose onto the frozen lakes of Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park and then shoot them with tranquilizing darts.
Once the moose are downed, a second, larger helicopter is called in to carry them in a sling five to 10 miles to a base camp. There they are to be weighed, fitted with collar that emit radio signals for subsequent tracking, and put in large wooden crates for the 16-hour truck ride to their new home.
Source:
John Holusha, “Ontario Moose Resettled in Michigan“, New York Times, January 26, 1985, p. 6.
John Hussar, “Moose Free to Roam in Their New Home“, Chicago Tribune, March 26, 1985.
“Algonquin Park/Michigan Moose Transfer 1985“, Algonquin Provincial Park (Canada) Official Website.
John Robinson, “The Great Michigan Moose Transfer of 1985“, 99.1 WFMK, April 28, 2020.