Michigan Facts and Trivia - It’s not Michigan’s style to be loud and shout out for attention, “Look at my trivia! Check out my facts!” which may be the reason some interesting information on the Wolverine State goes unknown—until now. By the way, X-men fans will be disappointed to learn that there are no wolverines in the Wolverine State.

Michigan is the only state made up of two peninsulas. If you haven’t noticed, the Lower Peninsula looks very much like an oven mitten. In 1669 Father Marquette founded a mission at Sault Ste. Marie, which is the now the third oldest remaining settlement in the US. To get to this settlement you will have to get over your bridge phobia by driving over one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge, which extends five miles over the Straits of Mackinac.

After Father Marquette founded Sault Ste. Marie, present day Detroit was founded in 1701 by a fur trader named Cadillac. Today Detroit has many names. It is called “Motor City” because it is the automobile center of the world, but it is also called “Motown” for being the birthplace of Motown Records. Among the lungs we worship from Detroit are: Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, The Temptations and Four Tops. All were Motown artists. Other celebrities born and bred in Detroit include Francis Ford Coppola, Sonny Bono, Bob Seger, Ted Nuggent, Aaliyah, The Romantics, Alice Cooper, and The White Stripes to name a few. Aviator Charles Lindbergh, comedians Gilda Radner and Tim Allen, legend Charlton Heston, and actor Tom Selleck were also born in Detroit. Rapper Eminem was raised in the Detroit area. The late Rosa Parks, a symbol of the civil rights movement, lived in Detroit until her recent death in 2005.

Born elsewhere in Michigan were Henry Ford, Madonna, Kid Rock, Michael Moore, and Serena Williams. America’s 38th President, Gerald R. Ford grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

If you are traveling down the Indian River and see the 55-foot Crucifix in the Woods, the second largest crucifix in the world, don’t be startled, it is meant to be there.

Battle Creek is the cereal capital of the world and known as Cereal City ever since the oft-battling Kellogg brothers invented the corn flake—yes, they are great. Besides corn flakes, Jason Newsted of Metallica grew up in Cereal City.

Fremont, home to Gerber, is the baby food capital of the world (see, and you thought the capital of the world was in your pantry.) Each year in July they host the national baby food festival where kids from all over the country gather round and throw pureed peas and corn at their mothers.

If you ever wondered where the world’s largest manufacturer of magic supplies was located, the answer would be Colon, Michigan.

Remember this one because it is the kind of question that comes up in trivia games. What state has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world? Yes, that would be Michigan. What is the only state that has more shoreline than Michigan? Darn that Alaska! Is Michigan the only state that touches four of the give Great Lakes? You get your lighthouse it is. Lake Ontario is the only one it does not touch.

The state fossil is the mastodon. Mastodons could be 16-feet longer or more and nine-feet taller or more. What a fossil!

Kalamazoo is home to Gibson Guitar. This is also the birthplace of The Yankee’s Derek Jeter.

In November, 2005 Holland, Michigan became home to the largest pumpkin pie ever made.

Michigan has a rich history from the Native Americans to the French with many inventors, adventures an artists calling Michigan home. It is home to Motown and Motor and so it is fitting to end by saying that Michigan not only rocks, but it rolls as well. Go Michigan!