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MI Moments 🎬
Mackinac Bridge Labor Day Walk
The 1st Mackinac Bridge Walk took place in June 1958, with 68 people taking part but moved to Labor Day in 1959.
A record-setting 82,000+ people made the crossing in 1992, including sitting U.S. President George H.W. Bush.
He remains the only sitting U.S. president to lead Michigan’s annual walk across the Straits of Mackinac.
Today, over 30,000 participants take part in the annual event celebrating the “Mighty Mac” and Michigan unity.
Bonus History: In 2017, the Mackinac Bridge Authority instituted a complete closure of the 5-mile span to all public vehicular traffic from 6:30 AM to 12:00 PM for safety during the walk.
Local school buses previously shuttled participants across the Straits, but starting in 2018, organizers began permitting walkers to start from either St. Ignace or Mackinaw City to eliminate the need for mass transit.
The only time the bridge walk has been cancelled was in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remembering 9/11: Michigan Connections
42 people with Michigan connections tragically lost their lives on 9/11, including 18 University of Michigan alumni.
Among them was Flint native Todd Beamer, who uttered the rally cry "Let's roll" before fighting back against the hijackers on United Airlines Flight 93.
That passenger counterattack diverted the aircraft from hitting the U.S. Capitol or White House in Washington, D.C.
Today, 38 permanent memorials stand across Michigan honoring the 2,977 victims of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Bonus History: First responders from throughout Michigan, including firefighters from Monroe and Detroit, traveled 600 miles to Manhattan to join Ground Zero recovery efforts.
Salvaged artifacts from the site were later sent to Michigan, including a steel H-beam installed in Lansing's Wentworth Park.
Every September 11 at 8:46 a.m., all international border crossings between Michigan and Canada are cleared of traffic for the raising of colors, the sounding of Taps, and a unified moment of silence.
MI Photo 📸
1899 University of Michigan Football Team
In the digital collection Bentley Historical Library: Bentley Image Bank - circa 1899
MI Spotlight 🔎
Michigan Remembers 9-11 Fund
The Michigan Remembers 9-11 Fund was founded by East Lansing economist Patrick Anderson, who survived the World Trade Center attack after escaping the Marriott World Trade Center hotel.
The non-profit organization maintains a public registry of all 42 victims with Michigan ties and tracks the 38 permanent 9/11 memorial sites across the state.
Explore the archives and discover state memorials at the Michigan Remembers 9-11 Website.
Learn more at: michiganremembers.org
MI Trivia 🤔
On September 5, 1883, Detroit's very first zoo opened across from the future site of Tiger Stadium after local investors rescued a collection of exotic animals left behind by a what?
Tip: Click or tap on your guess to see if you got it right!
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Until next week, thank you for reading Michigan History Digest.
— Zac, Creator of Welcome Home History
