Events from the year 1990 in Michigan.

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 ...

: James Blanchard (

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

) *

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 ...

(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 (Democrat) * Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Lewis N. Dodak (Democrat) * Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate: John Engler ( Republican) * Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court:

Mayors of major cities

* Mayor of Detroit:

Coleman Young Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) was an American politician who served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan, from 1974 to 1994. Young was the first African-American mayor of Detroit. Young had emerged from the far-left ele ...

Mayor of Grand Rapids This is a list of mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The current mayor is Rosalynn Bliss, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2016. References {{Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat ...

: Gerald R. Helmholdt * Mayor of Flint:

Matthew S. Collier Matthew Samuel Collier is a veteran, business executive, entrepreneur, and speaker. At 29, he was elected as the youngest big-city "strong" mayor in the United States when he served as the chief executive of his hometown of Flint, Michigan, fro ...

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 ...

: Gerald Jernigan (Republican)

Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan:

Donald W. Riegle Jr. Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. (born February 4, 1938) is an American politician, author, and businessman from Michigan. He served for five terms as a Representative and for three terms as a Senator in the U.S. Congress. Early life and family Donald W ...

(

) * 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: Fred Upton (Republican) * House District 5:

Harold S. Sawyer Harold Samuel Sawyer (March 21, 1920 – April 2, 2003) was an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sawyer represented Michigan's 5th congressional district in the United ...

(Republican) * House District 6: Bob Carr (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: Bill Schuette (Republican) * 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. George William Crockett Jr. (August 10, 1909 – September 7, 1997) was an African-American attorney, jurist, and congressman from the U.S. state of Michigan. He also served as a national vice-president of the National Lawyers Guild and co- ...

(Democrat) * House District 14: Dennis M. Hertel (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)

Population

Sports

Baseball

1990 Detroit Tigers season The 1990 Detroit Tigers season was the 90th season in franchise history. The Tigers finished in third place in the American League East, with a record of 79-83. They scored 750 runs and allowed 754. Notably, Cecil Fielder reached the 50 home run ...

– Under manager Sparky Anderson, the Tigers compiled a 79–83 record and finished third in American League East. The team's statistical leaders included

Alan Trammell Alan Stuart Trammell ( ; born February 21, 1958) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager and coach and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a player. His entire 20-year playing career in Major League Baseball ( ...

with a .304 batting average,

Cecil Fielder Cecil Grant Fielder (; born September 21, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Fielder was a power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV ...

with 51 home runs and 132 RBIs, Jack Morris with 15 wins, and

Ed Nunez Ed, ed or ED may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc * Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media * ''Ed'' (TV series), a TV series that ran fro ...

with a 2.24 earned run average.

American football

1990 Detroit Lions season The 1990 NFL season, 1990 Detroit Lions season was the 61st season in franchise history and their 57th in Detroit. Despite a stellar season from Barry Sanders who scored 16 touchdowns and led the league in rushing, the Lions took a step backward ...

– Under head coach Wayne Fontes, the Lions compiled a 6–10 record and finished third in the NFC Central Division. The team's statistical leaders included

Rodney Peete Rodney Peete (born March 16, 1966) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and Carolina Panthers. He played ...

with 1,974 passing yards, Barry Sanders with 1,304 rushing yards and 96 points scored, and Robert Clark with 914 receiving yards. *

1990 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1990 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Gary Moeller. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium. The team won ...

– Under head coach Gary Moeller, the Wolverines compiled a 9–3 record, tied for the Big Ten Conferencechampionship, defeated Ole Miss in the 1991 Gator Bowl, and were ranked No. 7 in the final AP poll. The team's statistical leaders included

Elvis Grbac Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the ...

with 1,911 passing yards, Jon Vaughn with 1,364 rushing yards,

Desmond Howard Desmond Kevin Howard (born May 15, 1970) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Howard w ...

with 1,025 receiving yards, and J. D. Carlson with 95 points scored. *

1990 Michigan State Spartans football team The 1990 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by eighth-year head coach George Perles, the Spartans compiled an ...

– Under head coach George Perles, the Spartans compiled an 8–3–1 record, defeated USC in the John Hancock Bowl, and were ranked No. 16 in the final AP poll. The team's statistical leaders included Dan Enos with 1,677 passing yards, Tico Duckett with 1,394 rushing yards, James Bradley with 517 receiving yards, and Hyland Hickson with 90 points scored.

Basketball

1989–90 Detroit Pistons season The 1989–90 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 42nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 33rd season in the city of Detroit. The team played at the Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Auburn Hills, Michigan. As the defending cham ...

– Under head coach

Chuck Daly Charles Jerome Daly (July 20, 1930 – May 9, 2009) was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to two consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1989 and 1990—during the team's "Bad Boys" era— ...

, the Pistons compiled a 59–23 record, finished first in the NBA's Central Division, and defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the

1990 NBA Finals The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989–90 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series pitted the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference playoff champion De ...

. The team's statistical leaders included Isaiah Thomas with 1,492 points and 764 assists and Dennis Rodman with 792 rebounds.

Ice hockey

1989–90 Detroit Red Wings season The 1989–90 NHL season, 1989–90 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' Detroit Red Wings seasons, 58th season (sports), season, the franchise's 64th. The season involved drafting Sergei Fedorov and Nicklas Lidstrom. Until 2016–17 NHL ...

– Under head coach Jacques Demers, the Red Wings compiled a 28–38–14 record and finished fifth in the NHL Norris Division.

Steve Yzerman Stephen Gregory Yzerman (; born May 9, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player currently serving as executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent all 22 seasons of his NHL playing c ...

led the team with 62 goals, 65 assists, and 127 points. The team's goaltenders included

Glen Hanlon Glen A. Hanlon (born February 20, 1957) is a Canadian ice hockey coach, executive and former goaltender. Hanlon played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings. He is al ...

(45 games) and Tim Cheveldae (28 games).

Other

Music and culture

* January 18 - Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi was hired as the 11th music director of the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music d ...

. He remained in that position until 2005. * March 27 - Madonna's single Vogue was released. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was No. 5 on the year-end chart. * April to August - Madonna conducted her Blond Ambition World Tour. ''Rolling Stone'' called it an "elaborately choreographed, sexually provocative extravaganza" and proclaimed it "the best tour of 1990". The tour generated strong negative reaction from religious groups for her performance of "Like a Virgin", during which two male dancers caressed her body before she simulated masturbation. The tour was later the subject of the documentary film, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare''. * June 15 - The film ''

Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...

'' was released featuring Madonna as Breathless Mahoney. * October 30 - Madonna's single

Justify My Love "Justify My Love" is a song by American singer Madonna from her first greatest hits album ''The Immaculate Collection'' (1990). It was released on November 6, 1990, by Sire Records as the lead single from ''The Immaculate Collection''. The song ...

was released. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Chronology of events

January

February

March

April

May

June

* June 3 - Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a retired pathologist living in Royal Oak, assisted Janet Adkins, a 54-year-old Alzheimer's patient from Oregon, to end her life using his homemade suicide machine. On December 3, 1990, Kevorkian was charged with murder for his role in Adkins' death. The charges were dismissed 10 days later when an Oakland County judge ruled that the legal status of assisted suicide was unclear.

July

August

September

* September 18 - The ''M. V. Jupiter'', a 393-foot tanker carrying a million gallons of gasoline, exploded and burned at a dock on the Saginaw River in Bay City. One crewman was killed.

October

November

* November 6 - State Senator John Engler upset incumbent Governor James Blanchard in the closest gubernatorial election in Michigan history. Engler received 1,279,745 votes, and Blanchard received 1,260,611 votes. A poll by ''The Detroit News'', released two days before the election, showed Blanchard with 54% to 40% for Engler.

December

* December 3 -

: Two Northwest Airlines planes collided on the ground in dense fog. Eight persons were killed.

Births

* March 4 - Draymond Green, basketball forward, and NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2017), in Saginaw, Michigan * April 11 -

Amanda Chidester Amanda Marie Chidester (born April 11, 1990) is an American former professional softball player and current assistant coach for Michigan. She was named National Pro Fastpitch Player of the Year for the Chicago Bandits in 2019. She has been a memb ...

, softball player and 2x Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, in

Allen Park, Michigan Allen Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 28,638. Ford Motor Company is an integral part of the community. Many of the company's offices and facilities lie within the city limit ...

* September 22 - Denard Robinson, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2010, in Deerfield Beach, Florida

Gallery of 1990 births

File:Draymond Green against Washington (cropped).jpg, Draymond Green File:Denard Robinson (2012-09-15).jpg, Denard Robinson

Deaths

* February 9 - Del Shannon, Grand Rapids native and singer-songwriter, best known for his 1961 number 1 Billboard hit "Runaway", at age 55 in

Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17th ...

* March 15 - Tom Harmon, 1940 Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Michigan, at age 70 in Los Angeles * April 7 - Dick Lundy, Sault Ste. Marie native and animator who co-created Donald Duck, at age 82 in San Diego * October 25 - Bennie Oosterbaan, multi-sport star and later coach at the University of Michigan, at age 84 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 ...

Gallery of 1990 deaths

File:Del Shannon 1965.jpg, Del Shannon File:Tom Harmon from 1948 Michiganensian.jpg, Tom Harmon File:Ben Oosterbaan.png, Bennie Oosterbaan

References

{{Michigan year nav

Top Michigan news stories