POPULATION: 680,250 (city), 4,292,060 (metro) | TIME ZONE: Eastern | CLIMATE: Humid continental climate (cold winters with moderate snowfall, summers warm to hot)
The name Detroit comes from the French Rivièredu Détroit, which means River of The Strait. A strait is a natural, narrow waterway connecting two larger bodies of water. (Interestingly, the Detroit River typically isn't referred to as a strait these days, as it simply isn't wide enough.) The city was founded in 1701 when French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and fifty-one other people established a settlement called Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit. France was offering free land to anyone willing to colonize Detroit, and it worked. By 1765, it had become the largest city between two other French settlements, Montreal and New Orleans. During the French And Indian War, the British gained control of Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit and shortened the name to (you guessed it) Detroit. Soon after, several Native American tribes launched Pontiac's Rebellion and conducted a siege to capture Fort Detroit, but failed. The French eventually ceded all its territory east of the Mississippi to Britain, Detroit inclusive.
NICKNAME(S)
The Motor City
Motown
Renaissance City
City of the Straits
The D Hockeytown
The Automotive Capital of the World
Rock City
The 313 Day-twah
MOTTO(S)
Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) America's Greatest Comeback City
RANDOM SONG ABOUT THE CITY
"Born In Detroit," by The Rockets
PRO SPORTS TEAMS
Detroit Lions (NFL)
Detroit Tigers (MLB)
Detroit Pistons (NBA)
Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
Detroit City Football Club (NPSL)
Detroit Derby Girls (WFTDA)
Detroit Tradesmen Rugby Club (USA Rugby)
ALSO KNOWN FOR...
Hitsville USA
First in the nation for per capita potato chip consumption
Vernors, the nations oldest brand of ginger ale
The APBA Gold Cup, motorsports oldest active trophy
The Big 3 automakers
The first mile of paved highway
Supplying 75% of all illegal alcohol during Prohibition
8 Mile
Being the first city to assign private telephone numbers
The only U.S. city where you can look south towards Canada
The countrys only floating post office
The second largest theater district after Broadway
Henry Ford, Jimmy Hoffa, Berry Gordy, Tim Allen, The Hughes Brothers, Eminem, Aretha Franklin, Kid Rock, Insane Clown Posse, Iggy Pop, Della Reese, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, The Temptations, Dinah Washington, Stevie Wonder, Gordie Howe, Sugar Ray Robinson, Elmore Leonard