There was a time where Michigan was rattled by the sound of military jets breaking the sound barrier at 767 mph. When the B-58 Hustler was completed in the early 1960s, speeds capable of breaking through the sound barrier became easier than ever, and many people were not too happy about it, as flights were consistently held near the Great Lakes, causing thousands of people to be disturbed, as Orange Bean Indiana recalls:

From 1955 to 1973, Americans filed over 40,000 complaints against the Air Force because the endless sonic booms. Because of its strategic location, Illinois, eastern Wisconsin, northern and central Indiana, and Michigan found themselves frequently plagued by this “man-made thunder” from 1960 to 1969. In fact, these states had earned the semi-official nickname “The Sonic Boom Corridors.”

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End of the Booms

Finally in 1973, after getting so many complaints from residents, the FAA banned jets from going supersonic over land because of sonic boom because of the complaints and the financial struggle, and that's why it's very rare to hear them today, unless it's a necessary action taken by a fighter jet.

Natural Sonic Booms

It's often in Southwest Michigan during winter we hear what's described as thunder, much like the noises created by a jet breaking the sound barrier. It's almost annually that people and news organizations will report on these loud noises happening in multiple cities, and many times those are what's known as "Ice Quakes," which is cracking action in frozen soil or rock saturated with water or ice.

The Coolest Guinness World Records Set In Michigan

Here are some of the coolest Guinness World Records that have been set throughout the years in Michigan. Some amazing, some unbelievable, some gross, but all awesome in their own way.

 

 

 

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