Mackinac Island is an island covering 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European exploration began in the 17th century. It served a strategic position amidst the commerce of the Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony. Much of the island has undergone extensive historical preservation and restoration; as a result, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known for its numerous cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

325:

The First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, was formally opened in present-day Iznik, Turkey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea

685:

The Picts defeated the Northumbrians near Dunnichen, severely weakening the latter's power in northern Great Britain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dunnichen

1293:

Sancho IV, King of Castile and León, established what is now the Complutense University of Madrid, today one of the top public universities in Spain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complutense_University_of_Madrid

1570:

The first modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by cartographer Abraham Ortelius, was issued. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Ortelius

1927:

By the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud in the Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd, which later merged to become Saudi Arabia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Saud_of_Saudi_Arabia

2002:

East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the twenty-first century after Indonesia relinquished control of the territory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Timor

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

kinematic (adj): Of or relating to motion or to kinematics http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kinematic

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

However unwillingly a person who has a strong opinion may admit the possibility that his opinion may be false, he ought to be moved by the consideration that, however true it may be, if it is not fully, frequently, and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma, not a living truth. --John Stuart Mill http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill