Events from the year 1983 in Michigan. The Associated Press (AP) selected the state's top news stories as follows: # A 38% increase in Michigan's income tax led to recall campaigns against state legislators; # Dioxins were discovered in Michigan's waterways and fish; #

Chrysler Corporation Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

returned to financial health; # Agnes Mary Mansour, a Roman Catholic nun and director of the Michigan Department of Social Services, quit her order in defiance of a directive from the Vatican that she quit her government job which required her to oversee the use of public funds for abortions; # Toxic waste near Swartz Creek, Michigan, required evacuation of locals pending cleanup; # The case of Judy Stiver triggers a controversy over her surrogate mother arrangements; # Amway and a Canadian subsidiary pled guilty to fraud charges brought by the Canadian government for allegedly using dummy invoices showing lower values to reduce customs duties paid for goods shipped to Canada; # In continuing fallout from the Michigan PBB contamination scandal, a bankruptcy court approved the reorganization of the Farm Services Bureau; # (tie) Construction began on the

Project ELF Project Sanguine was a U.S. Navy project, proposed in 1968 for communication with submerged submarines using extremely low frequency (ELF) radio waves. The originally proposed system, hardened to survive a nuclear attack, would have required ...

military antenna; and # (tie) The racially motivated Murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, as a result of being beaten with a baseball bat by a Chrysler plant superintendent Ronald Ebens and his stepson.

Office holders

State office holders

James Blanchard 1981 congressional photo

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 ...

: James Blanchard ( Democrat) *

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 ...

: Martha Griffiths (Democrat) * 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:

Richard H. Austin Richard Henry Austin (May 6, 1913 – April 20, 2001) was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the Michigan secretary of state from 1971 to 1995, the first African American elected to the position, the first to win election to any sta ...

(Democrat) * Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Gary Owen (Democrat) * Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate:

William Faust William Faust (March 29, 1929 – January 21, 1995) was a Democratic member of the Michigan Senate from 1967 through 1994, and was majority leader from 1976 to 1984. Early life A native of Ohio, Faust attended Indiana University and earned a ba ...

(Democrat) * Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court:

Mayors of major cities

* Mayor of Detroit: Coleman Young * Mayor of Grand Rapids: Abe L. Drasin * Mayor of Flint:

James W. Rutherford James W. Rutherford (April 23, 1925 – January 14, 2010) was a mayor of the City of Flint, Michigan serving as the first "strong" mayor elected under Flint's 1974 charter.

James A. Sharp, Jr. James A. Sharp Jr. (May 28, 1933 – July 2, 2023) was an American politician who served as mayor of the City of Flint, Michigan, and the second "strong" mayor under Flint's 1974 Charter. Career Sharp defeated James W. Rutherford at his attempt ...

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 * ...

: Terry John McKane *

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 ...

Louis Belcher Louis D. Belcher (born 1939) is an American politician who served as the mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, from 1978 to 1985. He won office in an unusual "special election" of 1978, held after lengthy court wranglings over the disputed 1977 mayoral con ...

(Republican)

Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan: Donald W. Riegle Jr. ( Democrat) * U.S. Senator from Michigan:

Carl Levin Carl Milton Levin (June 28, 1934 – July 29, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the chair of the Senate Armed Services C ...

(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: Carl Pursell (Republican) * House District 3: Howard Wolpe (Republican) * House District 4: Mark D. Siljander (Republican) * House District 5: Harold S. Sawyer (Republican) * House District 6: Bob Dunn (Democrat) *

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 ...

: Dale Kildee (Democrat) * House District 8:

J. Bob Traxler Jerome Bob Traxler (July 21, 1931 – October 30, 2019), also known as J. Bob Traxler or Bob Traxler, was an American lawyer and politician from Michigan. He served ten terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 to 1993. Early ...

(Democrat) * House District 9: Guy Vander Jagt (Republican) * House District 10:

Donald J. Albosta Donald Joseph Albosta (December 5, 1925 – December 18, 2014) was an American farmer, businessman, and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served three terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985. Most n ...

(Democrat) * House District 11:

Robert William Davis Robert William Davis (July 31, 1932 – October 16, 2009) was an American politician from the state of Michigan. He represented the state's 11th congressional district, which at that time included the Upper Peninsula and a large portion of N ...

(Republican) * House District 12: David Bonior (Democrat) * House District 13: George Crockett Jr. (Democrat) * House District 14:

Dennis M. Hertel Dennis Mark Hertel (born December 7, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer from Michigan. From 1981 to 1993, he served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Early life and education Hertel was born in Detroit, Michigan, where ...

(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 (Democrat) * House District 17: Sander Levin (Democrat) * House District 18: William Broomfield (Republican) * House District 19: Seat lost after 1980 U.S. Census

Population

Sports

Baseball

1983 Detroit Tigers season The 1983 Detroit Tigers finished in second place in the American League East with a record of 92-70 (.568), six games behind the Orioles. The Tigers outscored their opponents 789 to 679. The Tigers drew 1,829,636 fans to Tiger Stadium in 1983, ...

– Under manager Sparky Anderson, the Tigers compiled a 92-70 record and finished second in the American League East. The team's statistical leaders included Lou Whitaker with a .320 batting average, Lance Parrish with 27 home runs and 114

RBI RBI most often refers to: *Reserve Bank of India *Run batted in RBI may also refer to: Organisations *Radio Berlin International *Raiffeisen Bank International *Reed Business Information *Restaurant Brands International *Ruđer Bošković In ...

s, Jack Morris with 20 wins, and

Aurelio Lopez Aurelio may refer to: People Politicians *Aurelio D. Gonzales Jr. (born 1964), congressman in the Philippines *Aurélio de Lira Tavares (1905–1998), President of Brazil *Aurelio Martínez, Honduran politician *Aurelio Mosquera (1883–1939), Pre ...

with a 2.81 earned run average (ERA).

American football

1983 Detroit Lions season The 1983 Detroit Lions season was the 54th season in franchise history. Despite a 1–4 start, the Lions rallied to finish with a 9–7 record. They were able to rise to the top of a weak NFC Central (three of the other four teams went 8–8, and ...

– The Lions, under head coach Monte Clark, compiled a 9–7 record and finished first in the NFC Central Division. The team's statistical leaders included Eric Hipple with 2,577 passing yards, Billy Sims with 1,040 rushing yards, Leonard Thompson with 752 receiving yards, and Eddie Murray with 113 points scored. *

1983 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1983 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1983 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 15th season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled ...

– Under head coach

Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 9–3 record. The team's statistical leaders included Steve Smith with 1,420 passing yards, Rick Rogers with 1,002 rushing yards, Sim Nelson with 494 receiving yards, and Bob Bergeron with 76 points scored.

Basketball

1982–83 Detroit Pistons season The 1982–83 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 35th season in the NBA and 26th season in the city of Detroit. The team played at the Pontiac Silverdome in surburban Pontiac, Michigan. Expectations were high with the Pistons entering the seas ...

– Under head coach Scotty Robertson, the Pistons compiled a 37–45 record and finished third in the NBA's Central Division. The team's statistical leaders included

Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for ''NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Grea ...

with 1,854 points and 634 assists and

Bill Laimbeer William J. Laimbeer Jr. (born May 19, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Pistons. Known for his rough and violent style of play, he played a big part in the P ...

with 993 rebounds.

Ice hockey

1982–83 Detroit Red Wings season The 1982–83 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' 51st season, 57th overall for the franchise. They finished fifth in the Norris Division. Offseason After fifty years of Norris family ownership, Bruce A. Norris, who had himself owned t ...

– Under head coach

Nick Polano Nick Polano (March 25, 1941 – September 26, 2019) was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and scout. Polano was the Detroit Red Wings' head coach when owner Mike Ilitch first bought the team in 1982, and later served as the team's assistant ge ...

, the Red Wings compiled a 21–44–15 record and finished sixth in the National Hockey League's Norris Division. The team's statistical leaders included John Ogrodnick with 41 assists and 85 points and Reed Larson with 52 assists. The team's regular goaltenders were Corrado Micalef,

Greg Stefan Gregory Steven Stefan (born February 11, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently serves as the goaltending coach for the Flint Firebirds in the Ontario Hockey League. ...

, and Gilles Gilbert.

Boxing

Other

Music and culture

* ''

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

'', the debut album from

, was released in July 1983. It included the hit singles "

Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...

", "

Lucky Star Lucky Star, The Lucky Star or Lucky Starr may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Anime and manga * ''Lucky Star'' (manga), a manga, anime, and video game series * "Lucky Star", one of the Angel Frames from the anime and manga series ''Galaxy ...

", and " Borderline". * " Old Time Rock and Roll" by

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

, originally released in 1979, appeared in the film ''

Risky Business ''Risky Business'' is a 1983 American teen comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Brickman (in his directorial debut) and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. Best known as Cruise's breakout film, ''Risky Business'' was a critical ...

'' starring Tom Cruise, released in August 1983, and became a hit.

Chronology of events

Births

* January 13 -

Alan Webb Alan Webb may refer to: * Alan Webb (actor) (1906–1982), English actor * Alan Webb (runner) (born 1983), American track athlete * Alan Webb (footballer) (born 1963), retired English association football player See also

* Allan Webb (disambigu ...

, runner set US record in mile, in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

* January 29 - Tim Gleason, hockey player, in Clawson, Michigan * February 21 - Braylon Edwards, American football wide receiver, in Detroit * March 30 - Zach Gowen, one-legged professional wrestler, in Ypsilanti, Michigan * April 10 - Andrew Dost, musician and singer ( Fun), in Cass City, Michigan * April 16 - Jon Horst, general manager of Milwaukee Bucks, in Sandusky, Michigan * April 29 - Megan Boone, actress, in

Petoskey, Michigan Petoskey ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat and largest city in Emmet County. Part of Northern Michigan, Petoskey is a popular Midwestern resort town, as it sits on the shore of Little Traverse Bay, a bay of La ...

* June 23 - Brandi Rhodes, model, wrestler, TV personality, in

Canton, Michigan Canton, officially the Charter Township of Canton, is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township had a population of 98,659. Canton Township is Michigan's second most-populated townshi ...

* June 24 Haley Stevens, U.S. House of Representatives, in Rochester Hills, Michigan * August 14 -

Black Milk Curtis Eugene Cross (born August 14, 1983), better known by his stage name Black Milk, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Career In addition to Slum Village, Black Milk has worked with J Dilla, Elzhi, Phat Kat, Frank-N-Dan ...

, rapper and producer, in Detroit * September 1 - Dan Gheesling, reality TV personality, 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 ...

* September 21 - Greg Jennings, NFL wide receiver (2006-2015), in

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

* September 23 -

Carly Piper Carly is a given name, a feminine form of Carl (name), Carl.#H1, Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 47. It is also a pet form of given names such as Carla and Caroline (given name), Caroline. Variant different spellings include Carley (name), Carl ...

, swimmer and Olympic gold medalist, n

Grosse Pointe, Michigan Grosse Pointe is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,421. Grosse Pointe is an eastern suburb of Metro Detroit along Lake ...

* December 2 - Jana Kramer, country music singer and actress (

One Tree Hill One Tree Hill may refer to: * "One Tree Hill" (song), a 1987 song by U2 referencing One Tree Hill, New Zealand volcanic peak * ''One Tree Hill'' (TV series), a 2003–2012 American drama series named for the U2 song ** ''One Tree Hill'' (soundtr ...

), in Rochester Hills, Michigan * December 14 - Charleston Hughes, defensive end in CFL (2008-22), in Saginaw, Michigan * December 23 -

Chris Conner Christopher Ryan Conner (born December 23, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Early life Conner grew up in Westland, Michigan and attended Churchill High School in Livo ...

, hockey player, in Westland, Michigan

Gallery of 1983 births

File:Alan Webb.jpg,

* Allan Webb (disambigu ...

File:Tim Gleason 2013-2.jpg, Tim Gleason File:20050101 Braylon Edwards.jpg, Braylon Edwards File:Zach Gowen at Hardcore Roadtrip.jpg, Zach Gowen File:Andrew Dost.jpg, Andrew Dost File:The Blacklist - Megan Boone (cropped).jpg, Megan Boone File:Eden Stiles with Paul Billets (cropped).jpg, Brandi Rhodes File:Haley Stevens, official portrait, 116th Congress.jpg, Haley Stevens File:Black Milk in Toronto 2012.jpg,

File:Greg Jennings-1.jpg, Greg Jennings File:Carly Piper.jpg,

File:Chris Conner 2011-03-20 (1).JPG,

Deaths

* March 4 - Jim Pace, running back at Michigan and Big Ten MVP (1957), at age 47 in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...

* March 6 - John MacInnes, hockey coach at Michigan Tech (1956-1982) and 3x NCAA champion, at age 57 in

Houghton, Michigan Houghton (; ) is the largest city and seat of government of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. It is the fifth-largest city in the Uppe ...

* May - Ernie McCoy * May 10 -

Harold F. Youngblood Harold Francis Youngblood (August 7, 1907 – May 10, 1983) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives from 1947 to 1949. Early life and career Youngblood was born in Detroit ...

, US Congressman (1947-1949), at age 75 in Tucson, Arizona * June 15 - Elmer Mitchell * July 8 - Vic Wertz, baseball player, at age 58 in Detroit * July 28 - Elizabeth C. Crosby * August 20 - Alden B. Dow, architect, at age 79 in Midland, Michigan * September 1 - Arthur Herzog Jr., songwriter (" God Bless the Child" and " Don't Explain", at age 82 in Detroit * December 30 -

Willis Ward Willis Franklin Ward (December 28, 1912 – December 30, 1983) was a track and field athlete and American football player who was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1981. Ward was the Michigan High School Athlete o ...

, football player and track star at Michigan, Big Ten athlete of the year in 1933, at age 71 in Detroit

Gallery of 1983 deaths

File:Jim Pace.png, Jim Pace File:Vic Wertz 1953.jpg, Vic Wertz File:Willis Ward.png,

References

{{Michigan year nav