Michigan joined the United States of America on January 26, 1837, becoming the country’s 26th state. It has the states Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio as its neighbors. Over the years, this state has acquired some interesting nicknames. Some of them are ‘The Wolverine State’, ‘The Water-Winter Wonderland’, ‘The Great Lakes State’, and ‘The Mitten State’.
It is the 11th largest state covering an overall area of 96,716 square miles of land and water. Michigan’s capital is Lansing, which is located in the southern part of the state. Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s know some of the astonishing facts about this state:
1. Humans have lived here for over 13,000 years
The Paleo-Indians were the first residents of Michigan. They had arrived here from modern-day Russia through the Bering Strait and Alaska. When and where they could, they hunted animals and lived off the land to survive and thrive.
A number of stone tools and arrowheads that belong to these people have been found. All these items date back to at least 11,000 BC. They give us a solid archaeological evidence of their existence in the state.
2. You can see the Northern Lights in this state
It might surprise you that it’s possible to see the aurora borealis in the northern part of Michigan. So, you don’t have to travel all the way to Iceland or Alaska to witness the Northern Lights. All you have to do is get to the shores of Lake Huron or Lake Superior. These are among the places where there’s minimal light pollution. Another great advantage is that there are no towering trees here to block the view.
3. The name Michigan actually means ‘large water’
The name of this state is derived from a word in the language of Native Americans. Michigan comes from the word ‘mishigami’. It was used by the Ojibwe people. They spoke a language that was a variant of the Algonquian language family. The word ‘mishigami’ means ‘large lake’ according to this language.
4. The Michigan Triangle is just as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle
The existence of the mysterious Michigan Triangle was reported first in the late 19th century. In the year 1891, a ship called Thomas Hume disappeared in the middle of Lake Michigan. It was there to pick up lumber. No trace of the ship or the crew was found. This is why no one was able to know what happened to the ship.
Although the Michigan Triangle is not as popular as the Bermuda Triangle, it is just as mysterious. Over the years, it has claimed many lives and remained a mystery. It exists within the confines of a triangular portion of Lake Michigan. This triangle includes Benton Harbor, Ludington, and Manitowac.
5. Michigan once produced almost 60% of all cars
Michigan is the place where Henry Ford experimented with many different designs and styles of cars. Ford himself was from this state and he carried out these experiments during the early 20th century. Of course, Michigan is not the place where the cars were invented. However, it was surely the place where they became popular. The Ford Motor Company gained popularity with the release of its Model T.
This 1908 model was lovingly called Tin Lizzie. By the 1920s, the company had made it big in the United States. It was producing more than 50% of all the cars in the country at the time. Another 10% came from the other companies that were based around Michigan.