Events from the year 1966 in Michigan. The ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

'' (DFP) and the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

(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 George Wilcken Romney (July 8, 1907 – July 26, 1995) was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as chairman and president of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd gover ...

'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 who died in April) defeated former Gov. G. Mennen Williams (APE-2, APS-4, DFP-1 s part of the "Romney sweep"; # The controversy over automobile safety triggered by the publication of

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. The son of Lebanese immigrants to the U ...

's "

Unsafe at Any Speed ''Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile'' is a non-fiction book by consumer advocate Ralph Nader, first published in 1965. Its central theme is that car manufacturers resisted the introduction of safety features ( ...

" and culminating in the Highway Safety Act of 1966 mandating certain safety standards, and revelation that an investigator hired by General Motors 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 The city of Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S., has had two major riots. 1966 On August 30, 1966, a riot began after a meeting discussing recreational facilities and police relations with respect to black residents. During the riot, a black 18-year ...

following a fatal shooting on August 30 (APE-6, APS-3, DFP-7 ast side of Detroit; # The November 29 sinking in Lake Huron 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. G. Mennen Williams soundly defeated Detroit Mayor

Jerome Cavanagh Jerome Patrick Cavanagh (June 16, 1928 – November 27, 1979) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 1962 to 1970. Initially seen as another John F. Kennedy, his reputation was doomed by the 1967 riots. He ...

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 Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

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 Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

that they had developed a cancer vaccine (APS-8); and # An April boycott by African-American students at Detroit's Northern High School (DFP-10). The AP and

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20t ...

(UPI) also selected the state's top 1966 sports stories as follows: # The

1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game The 1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game is considered one of the greatest and most controversial games in college football history played between Michigan State and Notre Dame. The game was played in Michigan State's Spartan Stadium ...

, 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 Michigan ...

(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' manager

Charlie Dressen Charles Walter Dressen (September 20, 1894Dressen's birthdate has been revised from 1898, as was commonly reported in ''The Sporting News' Baseball Register'' and ''Macmillan's Baseball Encyclopedia'', to 1894 by both Baseball Reference and Retro ...

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. ...

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 The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

championship led by Cazzie Russell (AP-5, UPI-4); # The Detroit Lions' 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 Redsk ...

's refusal to play, dissension among players, and criticism of head coach

Harry Gilmer Harry Vincent Gilmer Jr. (April 14, 1926 – August 20, 2016) was an American football halfback and quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fam ...

(AP-4, UPI-5); # The Detroit Lions' mid-season resurgence led by the passing of rookie quarterback Karl Sweetan, the receiving of Pat Studstill, and the kicking of

Garo Yepremian Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian (June 2, 1944 – May 15, 2015) was a Cypriot-Armenian American football placekicker who played in the National Football League for 15 seasons, primarily with the Miami Dolphins. During his nine seasons in Mia ...

(AP-6, UPI-6 weetan only; # The death of Chuck Thompson in a crash during the

APBA Gold Cup The APBA Gold Cup (originally known simply as the Gold Cup, a speedboat race) is an American hydroplane boat race, named for the American Power Boat Association. It is now run as part of the H1 Unlimited H1 Unlimited is an American Unlimited ...

race on the

Detroit River The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively referred to as Detro ...

(AP-7); # The appointment of

Mayo Smith Edward Mayo "Catfish" Smith (January 17, 1915 – November 24, 1977) was an American professional baseball player, manager, and scout who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics. Smith had a 39-year baseball career ...

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); # Cazzie Russell of Michigan named the UPI Player of the Year (UPI-9); and #

Denny McLain Dennis Dale McLain (born March 29, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher, most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers. In 1968, McLain beca ...

winning 20 games for the Detroit Tigers (UPI-10).

Office holders

State office holders

* Governor of Michigan:

(

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

) * Lieutenant Governor of Michigan:

William Milliken William Grawn Milliken (March 26, 1922 – October 18, 2019) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Michigan. A member of the Republican Party, he is the longest-serving governor in Michigan history, servin ...

(Republican) *

Michigan Attorney General The Attorney General of the State of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, m ...

: Frank J. Kelley (

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 ...

) *

Michigan Secretary of State The Michigan Department of State is administered by the Secretary of State, who is elected on a partisan ballot for a term of four years in gubernatorial elections. The Secretary of State is the third-highest official in the State of Michigan. A ...

: James M. Hare (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 The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the sta ...

Mayors of major cities

Mayor of Detroit This is a list of mayors of Detroit, Michigan. See History of Detroit, Michigan, for more information about the history of the incorporation of the city. The current mayor is Mike Duggan, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2014. History ...

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 ...

: C. H. Sonneveldt *

Mayor of Flint The mayor position of Flint, Michigan is a strong mayor-type. In Flint's previous 1929 charter, the mayor was one of the City Commissioners, as the council in a council-manager type government. 1855–1888 The mayor was one of many citywide ele ...

: Harry K. Cull * Mayor of Saginaw: G. Stewart Francke/James W. Stenglein * Mayor of Dearborn: Orville L. Hubbard * Mayor of Lansing: Willard I. Bowerman, Jr./Max E. Murninghan * Mayor of Ann Arbor: Wendell Hulcher (Republican)

Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan: Patrick V. McNamara (Democrat)/ Robert P. Griffin (Republican) * U.S. Senator from Michigan:

Philip Hart Philip Aloysius Hart (December 10, 1912December 26, 1976) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he served as a United States Senator from Michigan from 1959 until his death from cancer in Washington, D.C. in 1976. He was known as ...

William Broomfield William S. Broomfield, (April 28, 1922 – February 20, 2019) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Early life Broomfield, the son of Scevillian C. and Fern Broomfield was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. His father was a d ...

(Republican) * House District 19: Billie S. Farnum (Democrat)

Population

Sports

Baseball

* 1966 Detroit Tigers season – Under managers

and

Frank Skaff Francis Michael Skaff (September 30, 1910 – April 12, 1988) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder, coach, manager and scout. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1935 and for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1943, and served as act ...

, the Tigers compiled an 88–74 record and finished in third place in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

. The team's statistical leaders included

Al Kaline Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kali ...

with a .288

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, Norm Cash with 32

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

Willie Horton William R. Horton (born August 12, 1951), commonly referred to as "Willie Horton", is an American convicted felon who became notorious for committing violent crimes while on furlough from prison, where he was serving a life sentence without the ...

with 100 RBIs,

with 20 wins, and Earl Wilson with a 2.59

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

. * 1966 Michigan Wolverines baseball 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 attending th ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 22–11 record and finished third the

. 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 ...

– The Lions, under head coach

, compiled a 4–9–1 record and finished in sixth place in the NFL's West Division. The team's statistical leaders included Karl Sweetan with 1,809 passing yards, Tom Nowatzke with 512 rushing yards, Pat Studstill with 1,266 receiving yards, and

with 50 points scored. *

– Under head coach

Duffy Daugherty Hugh Duffy Daugherty (September 8, 1915 – September 25, 1987) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Michigan State University from 1954 to 1972, compiling a record of 109–69–5. His 1965 and 1966 teams won ...

, 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 The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...

(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 oppone ...

– Under head coach

Bump Elliott Chalmers William "Bump" Elliott (January 30, 1925 – December 7, 2019) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University (1943–1944) and the University of Michigan (1946–19 ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 6–4 record. The team's statistical leaders included

Dick Vidmer Richard F. Vidmer (born December 24, 1944) died April 3, 2022, was a former American football player. He attended University of Michigan, where he played college football as a quarterback for the Wolverines football teams from 1965 to 1967. Earl ...

with 1,609 passing yards, Dave Fisher with 672 rushing yards, and

Jack Clancy Jack David Clancy (born June 18, 1944) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Miami Dolphins in 1967 and 1969 and for the Green Bay Packers in 1970. He also played in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines f ...

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 Francis William Doolittle (August 10, 1923 – April 10, 2014) was an American football player and coach. Doolittle attended high school in Mansfield, Ohio, where he was selected as an all-state quarterback in his senior year. He enrolled at Ohio ...

, the Broncos compiled a 7–3 record and were

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...

co-champions. * 1966 Central Michigan Chippewas football team – Under head coach Kenneth "Bill" Kelly, the Chippewas compiled a 5–5 record and were

Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) was a college athletic conference that existed from 1908 to 1970 in the United States. At one time the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, or IIAC, was a robust league that clai ...

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 Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in W ...

, the Hurons compiled a 5–3–1 record.

Basketball

* 1965–66 Detroit Pistons season – Under head coach

Dave DeBusschere David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American professional National Basketball Association (NBA) player and coach and Major League Baseball (MLB) player. He played for the Chicago White Sox of MLB in 1962 and 1963 a ...

, the Pistons compiled a 22–58 record. The team's statistical leaders included

Eddie Miles Edward Miles, Jr. (born July 5, 1940) is a retired American basketball player. A 6'4" guard born in North Little Rock, Arkansas and a graduate of Scipio A. Jones High School, Miles was nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Arm" because of his sho ...

with 1,566 points, DeBusschere with 916 rebounds, and Ray Scott with 238

assist Assist or ASSIST may refer to: Sports Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team: *Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...

s. *

– 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 Stra ...

, the Wolverines compiled an 18–8 record, won the

championship, and advanced to the 1966 NCAA basketball tournament where they lost to Kentucky in the Mideast Regional Final. Cazzie Russell led the team with 800 points and Oliver Darden led in rebounds with 241. * 1965–66

Detroit Titans men's basketball The Detroit Mercy Titans men's basketball team is the college basketball team that represents University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Michigan, and competes in NCAA Division I men's basketball as a member of the Horizon League. Traditionally, the ...

team – The Titans compiled a 17–8 record under head coach

Bob Calihan Robert James Calihan (August 2, 1918 – September 22, 1989) was an American basketball player and coach. Calihan played for the University of Detroit from 1937 to 1940. He led his team in scoring during each of his three seasons and became the ...

. * 1965–66

Michigan State Spartans men's basketball The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Michigan State University. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. The Spartans have won ...

team – Under head coach John E. Benington, the Spartans compiled a 15–7 record. * 1965–66

Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball The Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team represents Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school's team competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and are coached by Dwayne Stephens. The team last played in the N ...

team – Under head coach

Don Boven Donald E. Boven (March 6, 1925 – March 10, 2011) was an American basketball player, coach, and university instructor. He was a World War II veteran who was a standout athlete at Western Michigan University. After playing professional basketball, ...

, 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-fi ...

– Under head coach

Sid Abel Sidney Gerald Abel (February 22, 1918February 8, 2000) was a Canadian Hall of Fame hockey player, coach and general manager in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Detroit Red Wings, and was a member of three Stanley Cup-winning team ...

, the Red Wings compiled a 31–27–12 record, finished fourth in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

, but still advanced to the 1966 Stanley Cup Finals where they lost to the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

. The team's statistical leaders included

Norm Ullman Norman Victor Alexander Ullman (born December 26, 1935) is a former ice hockey forward. He previously played for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in ...

and

Alex Delvecchio Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing caree ...

with 31 goals each and

Gordie Howe Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...

with 46 assists and 75 points. The team's regular goaltender was

Roger Crozier Roger Allan Crozier (March 16, 1942 – January 11, 1996) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals. During ...

, and

Hank Bassen Henry "Hank, Red" Bassen (December 6, 1932 – May 29, 2009) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins between 1954 and 1968. He was the fat ...

was the backup. * 1965–66

Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey The Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents Michigan Technological University. The Huskies are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). They play at the ...

team – Under head coach John MacInnes, Michigan Tech compiled a 23–6–1 record. * 1965–66

Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey The Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Earning varsity status in 1922, the program has competed in 100 seasons. Between 1959 and 1981, th ...

season – Under head coach Al Renfrew, the Wolverines compiled a 14–14 record. * 1965–66

Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey The Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents Michigan State University (MSU). The team plays at the Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Michigan, on the MSU campus. The current head coach is Ada ...

team – Under head coach

Amo Bessone Amos "Betts" Bessone (November 22, 1916 – January 9, 2010) was a collegiate ice hockey player and head coach. Bessone was born in Sagamore, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, and raised in West Springfield, Massachusetts, where he learned to play ho ...

, the Spartans compiled a 16–13 record.

Golf

Buick Open The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. Regardless, many prominent players ...

– * Michigan Open –

Boat racing

Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race The Bayview Mackinac Boat Race is run by the Bayview Yacht Club of Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the longest fresh-water races in the world with over two hundred boats entering the race each year. There have been at least six changes to the co ...

– * Spirit of Detroit race – *

–

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 collegiat ...

– The second annual NCAA indoor championships were held at

Cobo Arena Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly as TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Was ...

in Detroit in March; Kansas won the team championship.

Music

Michigan and/or Motown acts performed 11 of the songs ranked on the

Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1966 Original list This is a list of ''Billboard'' magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1966. The Top 100, as revealed in the year-end edition of ''Billboard'' dated December 24, 1966, is based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of January 1 through Dec ...

, as follows: * " 96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians (No. 2); * "

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is a hit single recorded by Jimmy Ruffin and released on Motown Records' Soul label in the summer of 1966. It is a ballad, with lead singer Jimmy Ruffin recalling the pain that befalls the broken-hearted who h ...

" by

Jimmy Ruffin Jimmy Lee RuffinRibowsky, Mark (2010), ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations'', Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, p. 89. . (May 7, 1936 – November 17, 2014) was an American soul singer, and ...

(No. 3); * "

Reach Out I'll Be There "Reach Out I'll Be There" (also formatted as "Reach Out (I'll Be There)") is a song recorded by the Four Tops from their fourth studio album '' Reach Out'' (1967). Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, ...

by the Four Tops (No. 5); * "

You Can't Hurry Love "You Can't Hurry Love" is a 1966 song originally recorded by the Supremes on the Motown label. It was released on July 25 of 1966 as the second single from their studio album '' The Supremes A' Go-Go'' (1966). Written and produced by Motown p ...

" by

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

(No. 13); * " Hanky Panky by

Tommy James and the Shondells Tommy James and the Shondells are an American pop rock/psychedelic rock band, formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. – " Hanky Panky" (July 1966, their only RIAA Certified Gold record) and "Crimson and Clo ...

Niles, Michigan Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana border city of South Bend. In 2010, the population was 11,600 according to the 2010 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cit ...

(No. 30); * " Ain't Too Proud to Beg by

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

(No. 39); * "

Uptight (Everything's Alright) "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" is a 1965 hit single recorded by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder for the Tamla (Motown) label. One of his most popular early singles, "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" was the first hit single Wonder co-wrot ...

" by Stevie Wonder (No. 51); * "

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" is a 1966 song, written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr., and produced by Whitfield. Norman Whitfield recorded the song's instrumental track. Two years later, Whitfield got together with Eddie Holland to h ...

by The Temptations (No. 58); * " Don't Mess with Bill" by

The Marvelettes The Marvelettes were an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who wa ...

(No. 67); * "

My World Is Empty Without You "My World Is Empty Without You" is a 1965 song recorded and released as a single by the Supremes for the Motown label. Overview Written and produced by Motown's main production team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song's fast tempo accompanies ...

by The Supremes (No. 72); * " Devil with a Blue Dress On/

Good Golly, Miss Molly "Good Golly, Miss Molly" is a hit rock 'n' roll song first recorded in 1956 by the American musician Little Richard and released in January 1958 as Specialty single 624 and next in July 1958 on '' Little Richard''. The song, a jump blues, was ...

Mitch Ryder Mitch Ryder (born William Sherille Levise, Jr.; February 26, 1945) is an American musician who has recorded more than 25 albums over more than four decades. Career Ryder formed his first band, Tempest, when he was at Warren High School, and th ...

The Detroit Wheels The Detroit Wheels were an American Rock music, rock band, formed in Detroit in 1964. They served as Mitch Ryder's backup band from 1964 to 1967. The band had a number of Billboard Hot 100, top twenty hits in the mid-1960s before lead singer Ry ...

Chronology of events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Births

* March 12 -

Grant Long Grant Andrew Long (born March 12, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. He played over 1,000 games for the National Basketball Association over a 15-year career. Long had two relatives who were playing in the NBA during hi ...

, NBA player (1988–2003), in

Wayne, Michigan Wayne is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 17,593 at the 2010 census. Wayne has a long history of automotive and transportation related manufacturing. Ford Motor Company currently has two plants in Wayn ...

* March 21 -

Al Iafrate Albert Anthony Iafrate ( ; born March 21, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League between 1984 and 1998. He is perhaps most famous for his extremely hard slapshot. He set a record f ...

, NHL player (1984-1998), in Dearborn, Michigan * March 25 -

Tom Crean Tom or Thomas Crean may refer to: *Thomas Crean (1873–1923), Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor *Tom Crean (explorer) (1877–1938), Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer *Tom Crean (basketball) Thomas Aaron Crean (born Ma ...

, head basketball coach at Marquette (1998-2008) and Indiana (2008-2017), in

Mount Pleasant, Michigan Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in Central Michigan, the city is the county seat of Isabella County, Michigan, Isabella County. The population was 21,688 as of the 2020 United States census. It is surrounded by Unio ...

* April 29 - John Vander Wal, Major League Baseball player (1991–2004), in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

* June 23 -

Chico DeBarge Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge (born June 23, 1966) is an American R&B singer and musician. DeBarge was formally a member (for their final album) of the family musical group DeBarge. As a solo artist he scored a 1986 US Top Forty hit with the s ...

, R&B singer and musician, younger brother of the members of the Motown family act

DeBarge DeBarge was an American musical recording group composed of several members of the DeBarge family. In addition to various solo projects completed by members of the family, DeBarge was active between 1979 and 1989. The group originally consisted ...

, in Detroit * July 31 -

Dean Cain Dean George Cain ( Tanaka; born July 31, 1966) is an American actor. From 1993 to 1997, he played Clark Kent / Superman in the TV series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''. Cain was the host of '' Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' a ...

, actor ('' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'') and host of '' Ripley's Believe It or Not!'', in

Mount Clemens, Michigan Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,314 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of government of Macomb County. History Mount Clemens was first surveyed in 1795 after the American Revolutionary War by Christi ...

*September 9 - Kevin Hatcher, NHL player (1984-2001), in Detroit * October 28 -

Andy Richter Paul Andrew Richter (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on each of O'Brien's talk shows: ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Night'' and ' ...

, television sidekick to Conan O'Brien, in Grand Rapids, Michigan * December 4 -

Suzanne Malveaux Suzanne Maria Malveaux (; born December 4, 1966) is an American television news journalist. She co-anchored the CNN international news program ''Around the World'' and editions of '' CNN Newsroom''. Malveaux also served as CNN White House corresp ...

, television news journalist, in Lansing, Michigan

Gallery of 1966 births

File:Tom-Crean.jpg,

File:Dean Cain 2014.jpg,

File:Suzanne Malveaux.jpg,

Deaths

* February 17 - Alfred P. Sloan, former president and chairman of General Motors and philanthropist, at age 90 in New York City * April 30 - Patrick V. McNamara, U.S. Senator from Michigan (1955-1966), at age 71 in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

* June 23 - Louis C. Cramton, U.S. Congressman from Michigan (1913-1931), at age 90 in

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

* 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 th ...

, outfielder for Detroit Tigers (1933-1940), at age 57 in Detroit * August 10 -

Chuck Dressen Charles Walter Dressen (September 20, 1894Dressen's birthdate has been revised from 1898, as was commonly reported in ''The Sporting News' Baseball Register'' and ''Macmillan's Baseball Encyclopedia'', to 1894 by both Baseball Reference and Retro ...

, player, manager, coach in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

1925–1966), manager of Detroit Tigers (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, founder of the Detroit-based discount retail chain, at age 99 in

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state. Originally known as "Dansbury", East Stroudsburg was renamed for geographic reasons when the Delaware, Lackawanna, and ...

Gallery of 1966 deaths

File:Alfred Pritchard Sloan 1937.jpg, Alfred P. Sloan File:Patrick Vincent McNamara.jpg, Patrick V. McNamara File:Pete Fox.jpg,

File:BobSwift1949bowman.jpg,

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

References

{{Michigan year nav

Office holders

State office holders

Mayors of major cities

Federal office holders

Population

Sports

Baseball

American football

Basketball

Ice hockey

Golf

Boat racing

Other

Music

Chronology of events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Births

Gallery of 1966 births

Deaths

Gallery of 1966 deaths

See also

References