When did Michigan become a state?

Michigan officially became the 26th state on January 26, 1837. Prior to Michigan becoming a part of the United States, both Britain and other U.S. states, including Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut, had laid claims on its land.

Michigan consists of two peninsulas that are surrounded by four of the Great Lakes. Its capital is Lansing, and it has a population of almost 9.9 million people, as of 2010. The state has an area of 96,617 square miles and is known for its largest city, Detroit. The state is known as the "Wolverine State," and it has the white pine as its official tree and the robin as the state bird.