Detroit

• Detroit was founded in 1701 by French Explorer Antoine Lournet de La Mothe Cadillac. The city's original name was Ville d'Etroit which means "city of the strait."
• With a population of more than 1 million, Detroit is the seventh largest of 100 major cities in the United States.
• When World War II broke out in 1940, Detroit became known as the "Arsenal of Democracy" because of its major role in the production of war materials, planes and tanks.
• Detroit has the largest fireworks display in North America.
• Detroit is known as "The Motor City."
• The Detroit Institute of Arts is the fifth-largest fine arts museum in the United States.
• The first mile of concrete road poured in the United States was in Detroit in 1907. The paved road was on Woodward between Six Mile and Seven Mile Roads.
• Detroit was the last stop on the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves fleeing to Canada.
• The first stop light in the United States was installed in Detroit on Woodward and Michigan Avenues in October, 1920.
• More than 1,200,000 people visit the Mexicantown area each year, located at the base of the Ambassador Bridge. Visitors dine at authentic Mexican restaurants and purchase souvenirs and take-home foods from dozens of specialty stores and bakeries.
• The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is the third-largest in the world.
• The first radio news program was broadcast from Detroit on August 31, 1920.
• The Detroit Zoo was the first zoo to have barless exhibits.
• The oldest freeway in the United States is the Davison Freeway, connecting Detroit and Highland Park.
• Detroit is home of the original Motown Records Recording Studio where legendary performers such as Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross made their first recordings. The original studio still stands and is now the Motown Historical Museum.
• Detroit's Eastern Market is the oldest open market in the U.S.
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