1966 in Michigan

← 1965 1964 1963 1966 in Michigan → 1967 1968 1969
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 1966 in the United States

Events from the year 1966 in Michigan.

The Detroit Free Press (DFP)^[1] and the Associated Press (AP)^[2] each selected lists of the top stories of 1966 in Michigan. The AP provided separate lists of the top stories selected in statewide polling of editors and broadcasters (APE) and another selected by the AP staff (APS). Those stories included:

1. George W. Romney's landslide re-election as Governor of Michigan on November 8 and his rise in prominence as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 1968 (APE-1, APS-1, DFP-1);
2. The November 8 United States Senate election in which incumbent Republican Robert P. Griffin (appointed by Gov. Romney to complete the term of Patrick V. McNamara who died in April) defeated former Gov. G. Mennen Williams (APE-2, APS-4, DFP-1 [as part of the "Romney sweep"]);
3. The controversy over automobile safety triggered by the publication of Ralph Nader's "Unsafe at Any Speed" and culminating in the Highway Safety Act of 1966 mandating certain safety standards, and revelation that an investigator hired by General Motors was digging into Nader's past (APE-3, APS-2, DFP-5);
4. The fatal shooting on February 12 of Rabbi Morris Adler and his assailant's suicide in front of 900 worshipers at a Sabbath service at Shaarey Zedek synagogue in Southfield (APE-4, APS-9, DFP-3);^[3]
5. Racial tensions, including incidents in Lansing starting on August 8, a fire bombing in East Detroit, incidents in Ypsilanti and Muskegon, and culminating with the Benton Harbor riots following a fatal shooting on August 30 (APE-6, APS-3, DFP-7 [east side of Detroit]);
6. The November 29 sinking in Lake Huron of the ore carrier SS Daniel J. Morrell with the death of 28 of 29 crew members (APE [occurred after ballots cast], APS-7, DFP-6);
7. Teacher strikes in the spring and fall (APE-7, APS-5, DFP-8);
8. UFO sightings by hundreds of persons in Washtenaw County in the spring which were later identified as "swamp gas" by an Air Force investigator (APE-5, APS-6, DFP-10);
9. A grand jury probe into "black book" charges at the Detroit Police Department (APE-9, DFP-2);
10. The August 2 primary contest in which former Gov. G. Mennen Williams soundly defeated Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh for the Democratic Party's U.S. Senate nomination (APE-8);
11. The automobile industry's increase in prices on 1967 models to reflect new safety upgrades mandated by the government, and the subsequent roll-back of those increases following public criticism (APE-10, APS-10);
12. A tuberculosis outbreak infecting 14 children and caused by an infected teacher at a nursery school in Garden City (DFP-4);
13. A report by researchers at Wayne State University that they had developed a cancer vaccine (APS-8); and
14. An April boycott by African-American students at Detroit's Northern High School (DFP-10).

The AP and United Press International (UPI) also selected the state's top 1966 sports stories as follows:^[4][5]

1. The 1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country and ending in a 10–10 tie (AP-1, UPI-1);
2. Michigan State's loss to UCLA in the 1966 Rose Bowl (AP-2);
3. The 1966 Michigan State Spartans football team's undefeated season (UPI-3);
4. The deaths of Detroit Tigers' manager Charlie Dressen on August 10 and of interim manager Bob Swift on October 17; (AP-3, AP-8, UPI-2)
5. The 1965–66 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team winning its third consecutive Big Ten Conference championship led by Cazzie Russell (AP-5, UPI-4);
6. The Detroit Lions' personnel problems, including Joe Don Looney's refusal to play, dissension among players, and criticism of head coach Harry Gilmer (AP-4, UPI-5);
7. The Detroit Lions' mid-season resurgence led by the passing of rookie quarterback Karl Sweetan, the receiving of Pat Studstill, and the kicking of Garo Yepremian (AP-6, UPI-6 [Sweetan only]);
8. The death of Chuck Thompson in a crash during the APBA Gold Cup race on the Detroit River (AP-7);
9. The appointment of Mayo Smith as manager of the Detroit Tigers (AP-10, UPI-8);
10. Earl Wilson's strong 18–11 season as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers (UPI-7);
11. Cazzie Russell of Michigan named the UPI Player of the Year (UPI-9); and
12. Denny McLain winning 20 games for the Detroit Tigers (UPI-10).