Events from the year 1966 in Michigan. The '' Detroit Free Press'' (DFP) and the Associated Press (AP) 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: # 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); # 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 Patrick Vincent McNamara (October 4, 1894 – April 30, 1966) was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as a United States Senator from Michigan from 1955 until his death from a stroke in Bethesda, Maryland in 1966. Early life and ...

who died in April) defeated former Gov.

G. Mennen Williams Gerhard Mennen "Soapy" Williams (February 23, 1911 – February 2, 1988) was an American politician who served as the List of governors of Michigan, 41st governor of Michigan, elected in 1948 and serving six two-year terms in office. He lat ...

(APE-2, APS-4, DFP-1 s part of the "Romney sweep"; # 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 The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

was digging into Nader's past (APE-3, APS-2, DFP-5); # 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); # 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 ast side of Detroit; # The November 29 sinking in

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...

of the ore carrier '' SS Daniel J. Morrell'' with the death of 28 of 29 crew members (APE ccurred after ballots cast APS-7, DFP-6); # Teacher strikes in the spring and fall (APE-7, APS-5, DFP-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); # A grand jury probe into "black book" charges at the Detroit Police Department (APE-9, DFP-2); # The August 2 primary contest in which former Gov.

soundly defeated Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh for the Democratic Party's U.S. Senate nomination (APE-8); # 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); # A tuberculosis outbreak infecting 14 children and caused by an infected teacher at a nursery school in Garden City (DFP-4); # A report by researchers at Wayne State University that they had developed a

cancer vaccine A cancer vaccine is a vaccine that either treats existing cancer or prevents development of cancer. Vaccines that treat existing cancer are known as ''therapeutic'' cancer vaccines or tumor antigen vaccines. Some of the vaccines are "autologous", ...

(APS-8); and # 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: # 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); # Michigan State's loss to UCLA in the

1966 Rose Bowl The 1966 Rose Bowl was the 52nd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, January 1. The fifth-ranked UCLA Bruins of the AAWU (Pac-8) upset the undefeated and top-ranked Michiga ...

(AP-2); # The

1966 Michigan State Spartans football team The 1966 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. Michigan State lodged a 9–0–1 record, with a season-concluding tie against Notre Dame in the "game of the c ...

's undefeated season (UPI-3); # The deaths of

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

' manager Charlie Dressen on August 10 and of interim manager

Bob Swift Robert Virgil Swift (March 6, 1915 – October 17, 1966) was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, standing tall and weighing . He threw and batted right-handed. Swi ...

on October 17; (AP-3, AP-8, UPI-2) # The

1965–66 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team The 1965–66 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1965–66 season. The team played its home games at Fielding H. Yost Field House (renamed Yost Ic ...

winning its third consecutive Big Ten Conference championship led by

Cazzie Russell Cazzie Lee Russell (born June 7, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. An NBA All-Star, he was selected by the New York Knicks with the first overall pick of the 1966 NBA draft. He won an NBA championship with ...

(AP-5, UPI-4); # The

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

' personnel problems, including

Joe Don Looney Joe Don Looney (October 10, 1942 – September 24, 1988) was an American football fullback and halfback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants, Baltimore Colts, Detroit Lions, Washington Redski ...

's refusal to play, dissension among players, and criticism of head coach Harry Gilmer (AP-4, UPI-5); # The Detroit Lions' mid-season resurgence led by the passing of rookie quarterback

Karl Sweetan Karl Robert Sweetan (October 2, 1942 – July 2, 2000) was a professional NFL quarterback. Early life Sweetan grew up in Dallas and graduated from South Oak Cliff High School in 1960. College Sweetan played football at Navarro Junior College a ...

, the receiving of

Pat Studstill Patrick Lewis Studstill Jr. (June 4, 1938 – October 16, 2021) was an American professional footballer who was a wide receiver, punter and return specialist. He played 12 years in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions ( ...

, and the kicking of Garo Yepremian (AP-6, UPI-6 weetan only; # The death of Chuck Thompson in a crash during the APBA Gold Cup race on the Detroit River (AP-7); # The appointment of Mayo Smith as manager of the Detroit Tigers (AP-10, UPI-8); # Earl Wilson's strong 18–11 season as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers (UPI-7); #

of Michigan named the UPI Player of the Year (UPI-9); and # Denny McLain winning 20 games for the Detroit Tigers (UPI-10).

Office holders

State office holders

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...

: George W. Romney ( Republican) *

Lieutenant Governor of Michigan The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. The current lieutenant governor by default is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019. Proce ...

: William Milliken (Republican) * Michigan Attorney General:

Frank J. Kelley Frank Joseph Kelley (December 31, 1924 – March 5, 2021) was an American politician who served as the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1999, made him both the youngest (36 years old ...

( Democrat) * Michigan Secretary of State:

James M. Hare James M. Hare (July 31, 1910 – March 10, 1980) was an American politician who served as the 38th Michigan Secretary of State. Biography Hare was born James McNeil Hare in Racine, Wisconsin. He died in 1980. Hare was a Unitarian. Career Har ...

(Democrat) * Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Joseph J. Kowalski (Democrat) * Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate: Raymond D. Dzendzel (Democrat) * Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court:

Mayors of major cities

* Mayor of Detroit: Jerome Cavanagh * Mayor of Grand Rapids: C. H. Sonneveldt * Mayor of Flint: Harry K. Cull *

Mayor of Saginaw This is a list of mayors of Saginaw, Michigan. City of East Saginaw 1859–1889 The City of East Saginaw was incorporated in 1859 and existed until it was consolidated with the City of Saginaw in 1889 (effective 1890). The City Charter was granted ...

: G. Stewart Francke/James W. Stenglein * Mayor of

Dearborn Dearborn may refer to: People * Dearborn (surname) ** Henry Dearborn (1751–1829), U.S. Secretary of War under President Thomas Jefferson, Senior Officer of the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 Places in the United States Forts * Fort Dearborn, ...

: Orville L. Hubbard *

Mayor of Lansing List Lansing, Michigan, was incorporated as a city on February 15, 1859. * Hiram H. Smith, 1859 * John A. Kerr, 1860 * William H. Chapman, 1861–62 * Dr. Ira H. Bartholomew, 1863–65 * Dr. William H. Haze, 1866 * George W. Peck, 1867 * ...

: Willard I. Bowerman, Jr./Max E. Murninghan *

Mayor of Ann Arbor This is a list of mayors of Ann Arbor, Michigan, beginning with Ann Arbor's incorporation as a city on April 4, 1851. References Ann Arbor mayors, Political Graveyard website* Samuel W. Beakes, Past and Present of Washtenaw County' (Washtenaw C ...

: Wendell Hulcher (Republican)

Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan:

(Democrat)/ Robert P. Griffin (Republican) * U.S. Senator from Michigan: Philip Hart (Democrat) * House District 1:

John Conyers John James Conyers Jr. (May 16, 1929October 27, 2019) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. representative from Michigan from 1965 to 2017. The districts he represented always included part of western Detroit. ...

(Democrat) * House District 2: Weston E. Vivian (Democrat) * House District 3:

Paul H. Todd Jr. Paul Harold Todd Jr. (September 22, 1921November 18, 2008) was an American politician, soldier, and business executive from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967. Early life and edu ...

(Democrat) * House District 4:

J. Edward Hutchinson J. Edward Hutchinson (October 13, 1914 – July 22, 1985) was an American lawyer and politician from the state of Michigan. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Michigan's 4th congressional district in the United States House of R ...

(Republican) * House District 5:

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

(Republican) * House District 6:

Charles E. Chamberlain Charles Ernest Chamberlain (July 22, 1917 – November 25, 2002) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Life and career Chamberlain was born in Locke Township, Michigan and after graduating from Lansing Central High School in Lans ...

(Republican) *

House District 7 A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

: John C. Mackie (Democrat) * House District 8:

R. James Harvey Russell James Harvey (July 4, 1922 – July 20, 2019) usually known as James Harvey, was a United States representative from Michigan and an inactive Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern Distric ...

(Republican) * House District 9: Robert P. Griffin (Republican) * House District 10:

Elford Albin Cederberg Elford Albin "Al" Cederberg (March 6, 1918 – April 17, 2006) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Biography Cederberg was born to dairy farmers Albin and Helen (Olson) Cederberg in Bay City, Michigan; his father and maternal grand ...

(Republican) * House District 11:

Raymond F. Clevenger Raymond Francis Clevenger (June 6, 1926 – March 29, 2016) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from the state of Michigan between 1965 and 1967. Biography Clevenger was born in Chicago and at ...

(Democrat) * House District 12:

James G. O'Hara James Grant O'Hara (November 8, 1925 – March 13, 1989) was a soldier and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, serving as U.S. Representative from 1959 to 1977. Early life O'Hara was born in Washington, D.C. He moved with his parents to ...

(Democrat) * House District 13:

Charles Diggs Charles Coles Diggs Jr. (December 2, 1922 – August 24, 1998) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan who served in the state senate and U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first African American elected to Cong ...

(Democrat) * House District 14: Lucien N. Nedzi (Democrat) * House District 15:

William D. Ford William David Ford (August 6, 1927 – August 14, 2004) was a U.S. Representative from Michigan and namesake of the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. Ford was known for his support of workers and educational opportunity. Among his significant ...

(Democrat) * House District 16: John Dingell Jr. (Democrat) * House District 17: Martha Griffiths (Democrat) * House District 18: William Broomfield (Republican) * House District 19:

Billie S. Farnum Billie Sunday Farnum (April 11, 1916 – November 18, 1979) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967. Biography Farnum was born in Saginaw, Michigan and ra ...

(Democrat)

Population

Sports

Baseball

1966 Detroit Tigers season The 1966 Detroit Tigers season was the 66th consecutive season for the Detroit franchise in the American League. The Tigers, who had finished fourth in the ten-team AL in 1965 with an 89–73 record, won one less game in 1966, going 88–74, but m ...

– Under managers Charlie Dressen,

and Frank Skaff, the Tigers compiled an 88–74 record and finished in third place in the American League. The team's statistical leaders included Al Kaline with a .288 batting average,

Norm Cash Norman Dalton Cash (November 10, 1933 – October 11, 1986) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman who spent almost his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. A power hitter, his 377 career home runs were the fourth most by an America ...

with 32 home runs, Willie Horton with 100 RBIs, Denny McLain with 20 wins, and Earl Wilson with a 2.59 earned run average. * 1966

Michigan Wolverines baseball The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games ...

team - Under head coach

Moby Benedict Milbry Eugene "Moby" Benedict (born March 29, 1935) was a former baseball shortstop and University of Michigan coach. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Benedict played baseball and basketball at Detroit's Southeastern High School before attendi ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 22–11 record and finished third the Big Ten Conference. Bob Gilhooley was the team captain.

American football

1966 Detroit Lions season The Detroit Lions season was their 37th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 6–7–1, winning only four games. They missed the playoffs for the ninth straight season and incurred their second losing r ...

– The Lions, under head coach Harry Gilmer, compiled a 4–9–1 record and finished in sixth place in the NFL's West Division. The team's statistical leaders included

with 1,809 passing yards, Tom Nowatzke with 512 rushing yards,

with 1,266 receiving yards, and Garo Yepremian with 50 points scored. *

– Under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 9–0–1 record, played Notre Dame to a tie in what was billed as the Game of the Century, and were ranked No. 2 in the final AP Poll (one spot behind Notre Dame). The team's statistical leaders included Jimmy Raye with 1,110 passing yards, Clinton Jones with 784 rushing yards, and Gene Washington with 677 receiving yards. *

1966 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1966 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. In its eighth year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 6–4 record (4–3 against conference oppon ...

– Under head coach Bump Elliott, the Wolverines compiled a 6–4 record. The team's statistical leaders included Dick Vidmer with 1,609 passing yards,

Dave Fisher Dave Fisher (born c. 1946) is a former American football player. He played in the fullback position for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1966. He was a first-team All-Big Ten player and an Academic All-American in 1966. Fisher grew up in ...

with 672 rushing yards, and Jack Clancy with 1,077 receiving yards. *

1966 Western Michigan Broncos football team The 1966 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. In their third season under head coach Bill Doolittle, the Br ...

– Under head coach Bill Doolittle, the Broncos compiled a 7–3 record and were Mid-American Conference co-champions. *

1966 Central Michigan Chippewas football team The 1966 Central Michigan Chippewas football team represented Central Michigan University in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1966 NCAA College Division football season. In their 16th and final season under he ...

– Under head coach Kenneth "Bill" Kelly, the Chippewas compiled a 5–5 record and were Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions. *

1966 Eastern Michigan Hurons football team The 1966 Eastern Michigan Hurons football team represented Eastern Michigan University as an independent during the 1966 NCAA College Division football season. In their second and final season under head coach Jerry Raymond, the Hurons compiled ...

– Under head coach

Jerry Raymond Richard "Jerry" Raymond (July 14, 1928 – February 19, 2018) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan from 1965 to 1966, compiling a record of 8–7–2. Head c ...

, the Hurons compiled a 5–3–1 record.

Basketball

1965–66 Detroit Pistons season The 1965-66 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 18th season in the NBA and its ninth season in the city of Detroit. The team played at Cobo Arena in Detroit. The Pistons struggled on the season, finishing 22-58 (.275), 5th in the Western Divisi ...

– Under head coach Dave DeBusschere, the Pistons compiled a 22–58 record. The team's statistical leaders included Eddie Miles with 1,566 points, DeBusschere with 916 rebounds, and Ray Scott with 238 assists. *

– Under head coach

Dave Strack David H. Strack (March 2, 1923 – January 25, 2014) was an American athletic director for the University of Arizona and head basketball coach of the University of Michigan. He was inducted to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Early life S ...

, the Wolverines compiled an 18–8 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, and advanced to the 1966 NCAA basketball tournament where they lost to Kentucky in the Mideast Regional Final.

led the team with 800 points and

Oliver Darden Oliver M. Darden (born July 28, 1944, in Aberdeen, Mississippi) is a retired American professional basketball player who played three seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA). A 6'7" forward/ center from the University of Michigan. ...

led in rebounds with 241. * 1965–66 Detroit Titans men's basketball team – The Titans compiled a 17–8 record under head coach Bob Calihan. * 1965–66 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team – Under head coach John E. Benington, the Spartans compiled a 15–7 record. * 1965–66 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team – Under head coach Don Boven, the Broncos compiled an 8–14 record.

Ice hockey

1965–66 Detroit Red Wings season The 1965–66 Detroit Red Wings season saw the Red Wings finish in fourth place in the National Hockey League (NHL) with a record of 31 wins, 27 losses, and 12 ties for 74 points. They defeated the Chicago Black Hawks in six games in the semi-fin ...

– Under head coach Sid Abel, the Red Wings compiled a 31–27–12 record, finished fourth in the National Hockey League, but still advanced to the

1966 Stanley Cup Finals The 1966 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1965–66 season, and the culmination of the 1966 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Montreal ...

where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens. The team's statistical leaders included Norm Ullman and Alex Delvecchio with 31 goals each and Gordie Howe with 46 assists and 75 points. The team's regular goaltender was Roger Crozier, and Hank Bassen was the backup. * 1965–66 Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey team – Under head coach John MacInnes, Michigan Tech compiled a 23–6–1 record. * 1965–66 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season – Under head coach

Al Renfrew Allan McNab Renfrew (December 21, 1924 – November 10, 2014) was a hockey player (left wing) at the University of Michigan in the late 1940s and a college hockey coach with Michigan Technological University (1951–1956), the University of No ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 14–14 record. * 1965–66 Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey team – Under head coach Amo Bessone, the Spartans compiled a 16–13 record.

Golf

* Buick Open – *

Michigan Open The Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1916 at a variety of courses around the sta ...

–

Boat racing

* Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race – * Spirit of Detroit race – * APBA Gold Cup –

Other

1966 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships The 1966 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships were contested March 11−12, 1966 at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan at the second annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's colleg ...

– The second annual NCAA indoor championships were held at Cobo Arena in Detroit in March; Kansas won the team championship.

Music

Michigan and/or

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

acts performed 11 of the songs ranked on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1966, as follows: * "

96 Tears "96 Tears" is a song recorded by the American garage rock band ? and the Mysterians in 1966 (''see'' 1966 in music). In October of that year, it was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the U.S. and on the RPM (magazine), ''RPM'' ...

" by ? and the Mysterians (No. 2); * " What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" by Jimmy Ruffin (No. 3); * " Reach Out I'll Be There by the

Four Tops The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet from Detroit who helped to define the city's Motown sound of the 1960s. The group's repertoire has included soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes. Founded as the ...

(No. 5); * " You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes (No. 13); * " Hanky Panky by Tommy James and the Shondells of Niles, Michigan (No. 30); * "

Ain't Too Proud to Beg "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is a 1966 song and hit single by The Temptations for Motown Records' Gordy label, produced by Norman Whitfield and written by Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr. The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Pop Chart, a ...

by The Temptations (No. 39); * " Uptight (Everything's Alright)" by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

(No. 51); * " Beauty Is Only Skin Deep by The Temptations (No. 58); * " Don't Mess with Bill" by The Marvelettes (No. 67); * " My World Is Empty Without You by The Supremes (No. 72); * " Devil with a Blue Dress On/ Good Golly, Miss Molly by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels

Chronology of events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Births

* March 12 - Grant Long, NBA player (1988–2003), in Wayne, Michigan * March 21 - Al Iafrate, NHL player (1984-1998), in

Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...

* March 25 - Tom Crean, head basketball coach at Marquette (1998-2008) and Indiana (2008-2017), in Mount Pleasant, Michigan * April 29 - John Vander Wal, Major League Baseball player (1991–2004), in Grand Rapids, Michigan * June 23 - Chico DeBarge, R&B singer and musician, younger brother of the members of the Motown family act DeBarge, in Detroit * July 31 - Dean Cain, actor ('' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'') and host of ''

Ripley's Believe It or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' feat ...

'', in Mount Clemens, Michigan *September 9 -

Kevin Hatcher Kevin John Hatcher (born September 9, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the NHL for 17 seasons between 1984 and 2001 for the Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Range ...

, NHL player (1984-2001), in Detroit * October 28 - Andy Richter, television sidekick to

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' (19 ...

, in Grand Rapids, Michigan * December 4 - Suzanne Malveaux, television news journalist, in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

Gallery of 1966 births

File:Tom-Crean.jpg, Tom Crean File:Dean Cain 2014.jpg, Dean Cain File:Suzanne Malveaux.jpg, Suzanne Malveaux

Deaths

* February 17 -

Alfred P. Sloan Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr. ( ; May 23, 1875February 17, 1966) was an American business executive in the automotive industry. He was a long-time president, chairman and CEO of General Motors Corporation. Sloan, first as a senior executive and lat ...

, former president and chairman of

and philanthropist, at age 90 in New York City * April 30 -

, U.S. Senator from Michigan (1955-1966), at age 71 in Bethesda, Maryland * June 23 - Louis C. Cramton, U.S. Congressman from Michigan (1913-1931), at age 90 in Saginaw, Michigan * July 5 -

Pete Fox Ervin "Pete" Fox (March 8, 1909 – July 5, 1966) was an American professional baseball player from 1930 to 1946. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a right fielder, for the Detroit Tigers from 1933 to 1940 and the ...

, outfielder for

(1933-1940), at age 57 in Detroit * August 10 - Chuck Dressen, player, manager, coach in Major League Baseball 1925–1966), manager of

(1963–1966), at age 71 in Detroit * October 17 -

, player ((1944–1953) and manager (1965, 1966) of the Detroit Tigers, at age 51 in Detroit * October 18 -

S. S. Kresge Sebastian Spering Kresge (July 31, 1867 – October 18, 1966) was an American businessman. He created and owned two chains of department stores, the S. S. Kresge Company, one of the 20th century's largest discount retail organizations, and the ...

, founder of the Detroit-based discount retail chain, at age 99 in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Gallery of 1966 deaths

File:Alfred Pritchard Sloan 1937.jpg,

File:Patrick Vincent McNamara.jpg,

File:Pete Fox.jpg,

File:BobSwift1949bowman.jpg,

File:S.S. Kresge circa 1922.png,

References

{{Michigan year nav