1970 in Michigan

Events from the year 1970 in Michigan.

1970 in Michigan
History of Michigan
Locator Map
License plate

The Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) each selected the state's top news stories as follows:[1][2]

  1. The controversy over public funding to parochial schools, including the Michigan Legislature's enacting of a measure granting state aid and a subsequent petition drive and constitutional amendment prohibiting such aid (AP-1, UPI-1);
  2. Contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and automobile manufacturers and a 67-day strike against General Motors that causes widespread layoffs and budget cuts (AP-2 [strike], AP-7 [effects of strike on state economy], UPI-2 [new contracts and GM strike]);
  3. The trial and conviction of John Norman Collins for killing Eastern Michigan University student Karen Sue Beineman, one of the Michigan murders (AP-3, UPI-3);
  4. The death of Walter Reuther and his wife in a plane crash on May 9 at Pellston, Michigan (AP-4, UPI-5);
  5. The November 1970 elections in which William Milliken was elected Governor and Philip Hart was re-elected as U.S. Senator (AP-5, UPI-4);
  6. The multiple suspensions of Denny McLain and his later trade to the Washington Senators (AP-6, UPI-7);
  7. The discovery of mercury in Lake St. Clair fish and the Michigan Legislature's passage of a law allowing private citizens to sue polluters (AP-8 [mercury], AP-12 [legislation], UPI-6 [both]);
  8. The Goose Lake International Music Festival held from August 7 to 9 with widespread drug use (AP-9, UPI-8);
  9. A Supreme Court decision requiring public schools to provide free textbooks (AP-11, UPI-9); and
  10. (tie) The kidnap and murder of Laurie Murningham and austerity measures adopted by the Michigan Legislature (UPI-10).

The AP and UPI also selected the state's top sports stories as follows:[3][4]

  1. Denny McLain who was suspended in connection with a gambling controversy and then traded to the Washington Senators on October 9 (AP-1 [suspension], AP-8 [trade], UPI-1 [both]);
  2. The Detroit Tigers replacing Mayo Smith with Billy Martin as the team's manager (AP-6, UPI-2);
  3. The 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team's 10–3 loss to USC in the 1970 Rose Bowl, head coach Bo Schembechler's heart attack prior to the game, and his recovery from the heart attack (AP-3, UPI-3 [Rose Bowl] and UPI-8 [recovery from heart attack]);
  4. The 1970 Detroit Lions' finishing their season with five consecutive victories and their best record (10–4) since 1962 (AP-2, UPI-4);
  5. The 1970 Michigan Wolverines football team's winning its first nine games before losing to Ohio State, 20–9, on November 21 (AP-5, UPI-5);
  6. The Detroit Pistons' signing of their No. 1 draft pick Bob Lanier and then starting their 1970–71 season with a 12–1 record and 26–14 at the end of 1970 (AP-4 [both], UPI-7 [signing Lanier] and UPI-9 [fast start]);
  7. Ralph Simpson's decision to quit the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team to play professional basketball for the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association (AP-7, UPI-6);
  8. The 1970 Detroit Tigers' collapse during the last part of the season, compiling a 9–26 record from August 25 to September 29 (AP-9);
  9. The Detroit Titans men's basketball team staging a preseason boycott to protest the coaching policies of Jim Harding (AP-10); and
  10. The arrests of 11 men in connection with a Detroit-based sports national betting ring on New Year's Day (UPI-10).

Office holders
Gov. Milliken

State office holders

Mayors of major cities
Mayor Gribbs

Federal office holders
Sen. Griffin
Sen. Hart

Population

In the 1970 United States census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 8,875,083 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1980, the state's population had grown 4.4% to 9,262,078 persons.

Cities

The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 70,000 based on 1970 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1960 and 1980 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1970
Rank		 City County 1960 Pop. 1970 Pop. 1980 Pop. Change 1970-80
1DetroitWayne1,670,1441,514,0631,203,368−20.5% Decrease
2Grand RapidsKent177,313197,649181,843−8.0% Decrease
3FlintGenesee196,940193,317159,611−17.4% Decrease
4WarrenMacomb89,246179,260161,134−10.1% Decrease
5LansingIngham107,807131,403130,414−0.8% Decrease
6LivoniaWayne66,702110,109104,814−4.8% Decrease
7DearbornWayne112,007104,19990,660−13.0% Decrease
8Ann ArborWashtenaw67,340100,035107,9697.9% Increase
9SaginawSaginaw98,26591,84977,508−15.6% Decrease
10St. Clair ShoresMacomb76,65788,09376,210−13.5% Decrease
11WestlandWayne60,74386,74984,603−2.5% Decrease
12Royal OakOakland80,61286,23870,893−17.8% Decrease
13KalamazooKalamazoo82,08985,55579,722−6.8% Decrease
14PontiacOakland82,23385,27976,715−10.0% Decrease
15Dearborn HeightsWayne61,11880,06967,706−15.4% Decrease
16TaylorWaynena70,02077,56810.8% Increase

Counties

The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 120,000 based on 1970 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1960 and 1980 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1970
Rank		 County Largest city 1960 Pop. 1970 Pop. 1980 Pop. Change 1970-80
1WayneDetroit2,666,2972,666,7512,337,891−12.3% Decrease
2OaklandPontiac690,259907,8711,011,79311.4% Increase
3MacombWarren405,804625,309694,60011.1% Increase
4GeneseeFlint374,313444,341450,4491.4% Increase
5KentGrand Rapids363,187411,044444,5068.1% Increase
6InghamLansing211,296261,039275,5205.5% Increase
7WashtenawAnn Arbor172,440234,103264,74813.1% Increase
8SaginawSaginaw190,752219,743228,0593.8% Increase
9KalamazooKalamazoo169,712201,550212,3785.4% Increase
10BerrienBenton Harbor149,865163,875171,2764.5% Increase
11MuskegonMuskegon129,943157,426157,5890.1% Increase
12JacksonJackson131,994143,274151,4955.7% Increase
13CalhounBattle Creek138,858141,963141,557−0.3% Decrease
14OttawaHolland98,719128,181157,17422.6% Increase
15St. ClairPort Huron107,201120,175138,80215.5% Increase
16MonroeMonroe101,120118,479134,65913.7% Increase
17BayBay City107,042117,339119,8812.2% Increase

Sports

Baseball

American football

Basketball

Ice hockey

Golf

Boat racing

Other

Music

Several songs performed by Michigan acts and/or recorded in Michigan ranked on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970, including the following:

Other hit songs included:

  • "Heaven Help Us All" by Stevie Wonder reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100
  • "Stoned Love" by The Supremes reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart

Albums released by Michigan acts and/or recorded in Michigan in 1970 included the following:

Chronology of events

Births

Deaths

See also

References
  1. "Here's List of Top 10: Michigan Editors Pick Best of 1970". The News-Palladium (AP story). December 31, 1970. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Parochiaid Was Top News Story in Michigan in 1970". The Holland Evening Sentinel (UPI story). December 31, 1970. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "McLain Top Newsmaker". The News-Palladium (AP story). December 30, 1971. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Top State Story Is Denny McLain". The Holland Evening Sentinel. December 24, 1970. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Riegle switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in 1973.
  6. "1970 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  7. "2012 University of Michigan Baseball Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. 2012. pp. 22, 77. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  8. "1970 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  9. "1970 Michigan Wolverines Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  10. "1970 Michigan State Spartans Stats". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  11. "1969–70 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  12. "1969–70 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". SR/CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  13. "1969–70 Michigan State Spartans Roster and Stats". SR/CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  14. "1969–70 Detroit Titans Roster and Stats". SR/CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  15. "1969–70 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  16. "Michigan Tech Team History". College Hockey News. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  17. "Michigan Team History". College Hockey News. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  18. "Michigan State Team History". College Hockey News. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
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