1622 French explorers Étienne Brulé, and his companion Grenoble, are probably the first white men to see Lake Superio.
1668 Fathers Jacques Marquette and Claude Dablon establish the first mission at Sault Sainte Marie.
1701 Detroit is founded as Fort Pontchartrain by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.
1715 The French establish Fort Michilimackinac at the Straits of Mackinac.
1760 The French surrender Fort Pontchartrain to the British, ending French rule in Detroit.
1763 During the Indian wars in the area, Pontiac leads a 135-day siege of Detroit. Indians capture all the forts in Michigan, except Detroit.
1787 The (Northwest) Ordinance of 1787 defines the procedure for obtaining statehood in the Northwest Territory, of which Michigan is a part.
1792 Under the British Parliament's Constitutional Act, the first election is held in Michigan.
1796 The British evacuate Detroit and abandon their posts on the Great Lakes.
1805 The Michigan Territory is created, with Detroit designated as the seat of government. William Hull is appointed as governor. Detroit is destroyed by fire.
1812 Detroit and Fort Mackinac are surrendered to the British during the War of 1812.
1813 American forces reenter Detroit. Lewis Cass is appointed military and civil governor of the Michigan Territory.
1819 The Treaty of Saginaw cedes nearly 6 million acres of Indian lands to Michigan settlers. Michigan sends a delegate to Congress..
1828 The Territorial Capitol is built at Detroit for a cost of $24,500.
1835 The Toledo War ensues over the Michigan- Ohio boundary. Michigan was not admitted to the Union because she would not surrender her claim to the Toledo strip. The area was finally surrendered in exchange for the western section of the Upper Peninsula..
1835 The First Constitutional Convention. Stevens T. Mason is inaugurated as the first governor.
1837 Michigan is admitted to the Union as the twenty-sixth state.
1841 The University of Michigan is moved from Detroit to Ann Arbor.
1842 Copper mining operations begin near Keweenaw Point.
1844 Iron ore is discovered in the Upper Peninsula at Negaunee.
1847 A law is passed by the State Legislature to locate the State Capital "in the township of Lansing, in the county of Ingham."
1854 The Republican Party is organized at Jackson.
1855 The ship canal at Sault Ste. Marie opens.
1861-1865 More than 90,000 Michigan men are mustered into service during the Civil War.
1879 The new State Capitol is dedicated in Lansing; the structure cost $1,510,130.
1908 The Ford Model T is first manufactured.
1910 The first primary election in Michigan is held.
1920 Detroit's WWJ begins commercial broadcasting of regular programs, the first such radio station in the United States.
1930 The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel opens to automobile traffic.
1935 In the midst of the Great Depression, the United Automobile Workers of America (UAW) is organized in Detroit.
1941 Auto plants are converted to the production of war materials, helping Michigan become known as the "Arsenal of Democracy."
1957 The five-mile long Mackinac Bridge opens on November 1.
1959 Berry Gordy Jr. founds Motown Records in Detroit.
1963 The new State Constitution is ratified at the April election.
1967 Riots erupt in Detroit amidst racial tensions.
1974 Gerald R. Ford of Grand Rapids becomes the 38th President of the United States.
1976 Throwaway bottles are banned by a referendum vote.
1977 The Renaissance Center is dedicated, marking a revival of downtown Detroit.
1980 The Republican National Convention is held in Detroit.
1981 The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museumare dedicated in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, respectively.
1987 Michigan celebrates 150 years of statehood.
1989 The Michigan Library and Historical Center is dedicated in Lansing.
1992 Michigan State University hosts the third and final 1992 presidential debate. The State Capitol building is fully restored and rededicated.
1992 A constitutional amendment is adopted limiting the number of terms an official can serve as governor or as a federal or state Senator or Representative .
1998 The J. L. Hudson's building in Detroit is demolished. Chrysler Corporation merges with the German auto company Daimler-Benz, forming DaimlerChrysler.
2001 Detroit celebrates its 300th anniversary.