1. On August 17, 1796, Michigan became part of the United States when it was officially incorporated into the Northwest Territory.

2. The Battle of Frenchtown, also known as the River Raisin Massacre, was fought on January 18–23, 1813, during the War of 1812. On August 17, 1812, General William Hull surrendered Fort Detroit to the British Army during the early stages of the war.

3. On August 17, 1920, Michigan became the second state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted women the right to vote.

4. In 1950, the Mackinac Bridge Authority was created to oversee the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, which connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. On August 17, 1954, the first steel wire was suspended across the straits of Mackinac, marking the beginning of construction on the iconic bridge.

5. The famous civil rights leader Rosa Parks moved to Detroit in 1957, living there until her death in 2005. On August 17, 1994, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, for her lifelong commitment to advancing civil rights and social justice.