1973 in Michigan

← 1972 1971 1970 1973 in Michigan → 1974 1975 1976
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 1973 in the United States

Events from the year 1973 in Michigan.

The Associated Press (AP) selected the top news stories for 1973 in Michigan as follows:^[1]

1. The selection of Michigan Congressman Gerald Ford as Vice President of the United States following the resignation of Spiro Agnew;
2. The 1973 oil crisis;
3. Layoffs in the automobile industry following a drop in sales;
4. Negotiations between the United Auto Workers and the Big Three automobile manufacturers;
5. Coleman Young's election victory on November 6 over former police commissioner John F. Nichols to become the first African-American Mayor of Detroit;^[2]
6. (tie) The Michigan State Lottery earned $61 million in its first full year;
7. (tie) Natural gas forced residents to evacuate their homes in Williamsburg, Michigan;
8. Severe winter storms struck the state in March;
9. Union construction workers protested at nonunion work sites in Kalkaska and Midland; and
10. Col. William Nolde of Michigan was the last American soldier to die in combat in the Vietnam War; he was killed on January 27 when artillery blew up his bunker 11 hours before the ceasefire.^[3]

The AP also chose the state's top sports stories as follows:^[4]

1. The 1973 Michigan Wolverines football team's being passed over for the 1974 Rose Bowl despite its undefeated season and playing Ohio State to a 10–10 tie on November 24;
2. John Hiller's comeback from a heart attack to set a major league record with 34 saves;
3. Gordie Howe signing a contract on June 19 to play with his sons for the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association;^[5]
4. The Saginaw Arthur Hill High School football team compiling an undefeated season and outscoring opponents, 443–0;
5. The September 2 firing of Billy Martin as manager of the Detroit Tigers;^[6]
6. Joe Schmidt's January 12 resignation as head coach of the Detroit Lions;^[7]
7. The hiring of Alex Delvecchio as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings and the firing of Ted Garvin as coach;
8. The rise of girls' athletics in the state, including Carolyn King playing for a boys' Little League team in Ypsilanti;
9. The October 11 hiring of Ralph Houk as the new manager of the Detroit Tigers;^[8] and
10. The firing of Johnny Wilson as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings and the naming of Ted Garvin as coach.