1. The Kalamazoo Promise is the first program ever to provide up to 100 percent funding for college tuition for any high school graduate in a public school district.

2. Dr. Homer Stryker invented the orthopedic walking heel, turning bed and oscillating saw for cast removal.

3. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees shortstop, team captain and World Series champion, was a star player at Kalamazoo Central High School.

4. Dr. W.E. Upjohn invented a new form of pill-based medication in Kalamazoo in 1885, setting the foundation of the region's pharmaceutical industry.

5. Lindsay Tarpley, a graduate from Portage Central High School, helped the United States women's soccer team win Olympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008.

6. The corn flake was invented in Battle Creek in 1906 by W.K. Kellogg, who soon founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, now known as Kellogg's.

7. The big yellow taxi cabs seen in movies and sung about by Joni Mitchell were created in Kalamazoo by the Checker Motors Company.

8. Kalamazoo is home to the biennial Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. Every four years, a new Gilmore Artist is announced and presented with the most generous musical arts award of financial support.

9. The nation’s first outdoor walking mall opened in downtown Kalamazoo in 1959.

10. Eight Frank Lloyd Wright homes are located throughout the Kalamazoo area.

11. Abraham Lincoln spoke in Bronson Park, the site of his only speech in Michigan, in 1854.

12. The Underground Railroad stopped in Kalamazoo and helped almost 1,500 slaves on their way to freedom.

13. Kalamazoo hosts the annual United States Tennis Association Boys 16 & 18 National Championships.

14. West Michigan is the nation’s fourth largest producer of wines.

15. The Gilmore Car Museum was voted one of the ten best automobile museums in the United States.

16. The A. M. Todd Company once supplied 90 percent of the world’s peppermint oil.

17. The Kalamazoo Air Zoo is the tenth largest non-government aviation museum in the nation.

18. Kalamazoo is featured in two children’s books: From Kalamazoo to Timbuktu and I went to the party in Kalamazoo.

19. Western Michigan University’s baseball field, Hyames Field, was home to the first two College World Series in 1947 and 1948.

20. Sweetwater's Donut Mill was named by gourmet foods Saveur magazine among its top 100 food finds and selected one of the10 best doughnut shops from coast to coast by Bret Stetka for MSN City Guides.

21. Bell’s Brewery is rated #5 of the 100 Best Brewers in the World and four beers from Bell's received gold awards for being among the 50 Best Beers of the United States as part of RateBeer.com's annual Rate-Beer Best 2010 awards.  BeerAdvocate.com, an online hub for beer reviews and news, rated four Bell's beers in its top 100 of 2010.

22. Stephen Zegree, the Bobby McFerrin professor of jazz at Western Michigan University, directs the Gold Company and was selected by Nick Lachey to coach his choir on NBC’s ‘Clash of the Choirs.’

23. Kalamazoo is the subject of Carl Sandberg’s poem, The Sins of Kalamazoo.

24. Kalamazoo County was the Celery Capital of the World in the early 1900s. Celery touted as “fresh as dew from Kalamazoo” was shipped throughout the United States.

25. Former Western Michigan University Bronco, Greg Jennings plays for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. 

26. At the turn of the century, the Kalamazoo Corset Company employed over 800 women and became the world’s largest corset factory.

27. Kalamazoo once produced “America’s smartest car,” the Roamer, which was driven by the likes of Mary Pickford and Buster Keaton.

28. Three of the 400 Richest Americans, as named by Forbes, live in Kalamazoo.

29. The song, “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo,” was made famous by Glenn Miller. Kalamazoo College students voted Sara Wooley that “Gal” and she traveled around the country appearing at Bond Drives and USO dances.

30. The United Kennel Club, the nation’s second oldest and largest dog registry, was founded in Kalamazoo in 1898.

31. Kalamazoo native, Adam Hall, is a forward for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning.

32. The Barn Theatre, Michigan’s oldest summer stock theater, has seen performances by Tom Wopat, Jennifer Garner, Dana Delany and Lauren Graham.

33. The Kalamazoo Stove Company’s motto, “A Kalamazoo Direct to You,” not only helped the company market their product but helped spread the city’s name nationally.

34. Gibson Guitars was founded in Kalamazoo.

35. Kalamazoo County is the leading producer of bedding plants in the U.S. and is the Bedding Plant Capital of the World.

36. The products of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, a popular designer and manufacturer of high-end grills and outdoor kitchen equipment, are sought out by such Hollywood elite as Gwyneth Paltrow.

37. Miller Auditorium is one of the largest concert halls in the state and regularly features traveling Broadway shows.

38. Kalamazoo, Michigan is geographically located halfway between Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan.

39. Jason Newsted of the band Metallica was born and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan.

40. The indie movie Kalamazoo? was filmed in Kalamazoo and focuses on three women after they reconnect at their ten-year high school reunion.

41. John Harbaugh, head coach of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, began his coaching career as a running backs/outside linebackers coach at Western Michigan University.

42. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edna Ferber was born in Kalamazoo and went on to write So Big (for which she won the Pulitzer prize in 1924), Show Boat, Cimarron, Giant and Ice Palace.

43. Kalamazoo Civic Auditorium is Michigan’s oldest civic auditorium and is ranked number one amongst its peers by the American Association of Community Theatre.

44. Famed opera soprano, Susan Anthony, was born and raised in Kalamazoo and is a graduate of Western Michigan University.

45. The Kalamazoo Sled Company manufactured such sledding favorites as the Champion Sno-liner and the Champion Flying Disk.

46. Andy Dumpis, CFO of MPI Research, Inc., was selected to the U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball team in 1980 and 1984.

47. Heritage Guitar, Inc., began in 1985 as a spin-off of Gibson Guitar Co., has achieved status as one of the premier guitar companies in the world today.

48. Before he was a Denver Bronco, Tony Scheffler was a Western Michigan University Bronco.

49. Numerous songs reference the city’s name in lyrics and title, including “Down on the Corner” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash, “Kalamazoo” by Ben Folds, “Kalamazoo” by Primus, Kalamazoo” by Dr. Freeman and the Defenders of the Universe and “Kalamazoo” by Luna.

50. A sign reading, “Now Leaving Kalamazoo County,” appears in the driving montage scene in the movie Tommy Boy.

51. The Kal-Haven Trail, enjoyed by bicyclists and snowmobilers, extends 34.5 miles from South Haven, on the shores of Lake Michigan, to just northwest of Kalamazoo.

52. Professional bass angler Kevin Van Dam is from Kalamazoo.  He has won three Bassmaster Classic world championships.

53. The Ladies Library Association is the oldest women’s club in Michigan and third oldest in the United States. Its building was the first to house a women’s club in the nation.

54. The loose-leaf binder had its origin in Kalamazoo.

55. Western Michigan University graduate and comedic singer/songwriter Stephen Lynch was nominated for a Tony Award for his Broadway debut role in The Wedding Singer.

56. The Kalamazoo Nature Center is voted one of the best nature centers in the nation by its peers.

57. Western Michigan University's Sunseeker, a solar-powered car designed and operated by students in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, has won the Solar Challenge award for best design twice.

58. Westnedge Avenue is the second busiest street in Michigan.

59. The Kalamazoo Chapter of the Girls on the Run program is one of the top five in the nation.

60. In 2006, the 11-12-year-old girls from Mattawan became the Little League Softball World Champions.

61. Western Michigan University annually hosts the International Congress on Medieval Studies.

62. Florida Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen was also born in Kalamazoo.

63. Before he hit the USTA Pro Circuit, Scott Oudsema graduated from Portage Northern High School.

64. Neil Smith, a 1996 WMU Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, is a Canadian ice hockey broadcaster and previously the New York Rangers’ General Manager.

65. This nationally recognized photo of a South Haven lighthouse, located 45 minutes west of Kalamazoo, shows the beauty of Michigan’s December days which have a record low of -18.4ºF and record high of 68 ºF.   (Photo:  Taken by Kalamazoo Gazette intern photojournalist Merissa Ferguson.)

66. The Oakwood Bistro ranks among the nation’s top 100 restaurants as selected by culinary professionals.

67. A passenger steamship named ‘City of Kalamazoo’ was built in the early 1890’s and cruised from South Haven to Chicago for $1.  (Photo: Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0003451. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society.)

68. Bell’s Greenhouse in Comstock is the largest grower of African violets in the state of Michigan.

69. The hardcore punk pioneers, Violent Apathy, were formed at Western Michigan University. 

70. Robinson Guitars come from the one-man-shop run by Luthier Jake Robinson which produces just 12 to 15 handcrafted guitars each year.

71. For 17 years running, the City of Portage has been named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation. 

73. David Feldberg, former Augusta resident and one of the world’s premier Disc Golf players, captured the 2008 Disc World Golf Championship.

74. Actor Tim Allen attended Wester Michigan University. 

75. Before he played three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Noah Herron attended Mattawan High School.

76. Meredith Arwady, a Kalamazoo Loy Norrix High School graduate, is a Metropolitan Opera House star.
 

77. Author John Grogan of the best-seller, Marley & Me, worked at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1983 to 1985.  In December 2008, the movie starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston became an instant hit.

78. AT&T’s postcard TV ad with Luke Wilson features Kalamazoo.

79. Paul Harvey, American radio broadcaster for the ABC Networks and legendary syndicated commentator, worked at WKZO radio as a program director from 1941 to 1943.

80. In 1954, the Kalamazoo Lassies won the final title in league history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League made immortalized in 1992's A League of Their Own.


          

81. Kalamazoo's Top Hat Cricket Farm ships weekly over one million crickets nationwide for bait and tackle.

82. In 1912, Kalamazoo was home to one of the only twelve concrete manufacturing facilities in the United States.

83. Kalamazoo Valley Community College is home to the nation's first Wind Turbine Technician Academy.

84. The annual Stulberg International String Competition promotes excellence in string instrument performance in musicians under the age of 20.

85. FOX News Channel Entertainment Correspondent,Jill Dobson once worked as a general assignment reporter at WWMT NewsChannel3.

86. Kalamazoo Valley Community College hosts the prestigious Kalamazoo Animation Festival International in odd numbered years to honor pioneering independent and student animators from around the world.

87. Kalamazoo’s Vine neighborhood was voted the Best Place for Families by This Old House magazine in their July/August 2009 issue for its proximity to downtown, stellar schools, parks, hiking trails, playgrounds, and trendy restaurants and shops.

88. Henderson Castle is one of the top 41 historic hotels in North America according to AAA in August of 2009.

89. Kalamazoo’s Vanderberg Park is the host city for the Big League Softball World Series each year. In 2009, Kalamazoo County’s District 2 champions won the title game for the third time in 15 years.
 

90. Binder Park Zoo is one of the country’s top 60 zoos and its Wild Africa is one of the top 25 exhibits in the nation according to the book - America’s Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families.
 

91. Plainwell High School alumnus Dave Coverly won the prestigious and coveted 2009 Reuben Award Cartoonist of the year for his syndicated cartoon “Speed Bump.”
 

92. Southwest Michigan is a huge contributor to Michigan’s diverse agricultural economy. Overall, Michigan ranks #1 in dry beans,#1 in blueberries, #1 in tart cherries, #1 in cucumbers/pickles, #3 in apples, #3 in asparagus, #4 in sugar beets and #7 in milk cows.

93. The 2010 USA Curling Men's and Women's National Championships will be held at the Wings Stadium complex March 6 to 13, 2010.

94. Kalamazoo is rated #9 on Forbes' 2009 list of the 30 Best Colleges in the Midwest.
 

95. American Idol's Season 8 featured Kalamazoo's hometown contestant Matt Giraud who finished in the Top 5.
 

96. On Valentine’s Day 2010, more than 2.3 million tweenagers tuned into Disney Channel’s premier of Starstruck about a Kalamazoo girl’s chance meeting with a Hollywood pop star. 

97. In 1896, avid fisherman William Shakespeare, Jr. improved on existing fishing reels by inventing a device for winding fishing line evenly back on the spool.  The Shakespeare Rod & Reel company was born.
 

98.  Bill Hybels, the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church and creator of the Global Leadership Summit, was born in Kalamazoo. He is also an author of a number of leadership and Christian-based books.

99.  James McDivitt, a Kalamazoo Central High School graduate, was a NASA astronaut in the Gemini and Apollo space programs.

100.  On June 7, 2010, President Barack Obama delivered the first ever presidential commencement speech to a high school graduating class at Kalamazoo Central High School.