1. In 1913, the Ford Motor Company introduced the first moving assembly line at their Highland Park plant in Michigan. This innovation reduced the time it took to build a car from 12 hours down to just two and a half hours, revolutionizing the automobile industry.

2. On December 30, 1835, future Michigan Governor and U.S. Secretary of War Lewis Cass signed the Treaty of New Echota, which provided for the removal of the Cherokee Nation from their lands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). This forced relocation, known as the Trail of Tears, resulted in the deaths of thousands of Cherokee people.

3. The first Michigan Crossword Puzzle Tournament was held on December 30, 2006, at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. Puzzle enthusiasts competed for cash prizes and bragging rights, and the event has since become an annual tradition.

4. In 1975, the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior during a severe storm, resulting in the loss of all 29 crew members. The tragedy inspired Gordon Lightfoot's hit song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," which has become a staple of Michigan folklore.

5. On December 30, 1978, Michigan State University running back turned NFL star Lorenzo White was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. White went on to lead the Spartans to two Big Ten championships and was a two-time All-American before being drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1988. He played eight seasons in the NFL and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.