1969 in Michigan

← 1968 1967 1966 1969 in Michigan → 1970 1971 1972
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 1969 in the United States

Events from the year 1969 in Michigan.

The Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) each selected the top 10 stories in Michigan for 1969, including the following:^[1]

1. The "Michigan murders", a series of six killings of young women between 1967 and 1969 in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area climaxing with the August 1 arrest of John Norman Collins (AP-1, UPI-1);
2. An education reform plan proposed by Governor William Milliken (AP-2, UPI-2);
3. The debate over a proposal to provide public funding to parochial schools (AP-3, UPI-2);
4. William Milliken's succession of George W. Romney as Governor of Michigan following Romney's becoming United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (AP-4, UPI-3);
5. The New Bethel Church shootout between members of the Republic of New Africa and the Detroit Police Department on March 29 (AP-5, UPI-7);
6. The November 4 Detroit mayoral election in which Wayne County Sheriff Roman Gribbs narrowly defeated Wayne County auditor Richard H. Austin's bid to become the city's first African-American mayor (AP-6, UPI-6);^[2]
7. Henry Ford II's firing of Semon Knudsen as president of Ford Motor Company on September 11, only 18 months after Knudsen was hired away from General Motors (AP-7, UPI-5);^[3]
8. The October 17 appointment of Clifton R. Wharton Jr. as President of Michigan State University, the first African-American to head a major university (AP-8, UPI-8);^[4]
9. Controversy over sex education guidelines prepared by the Michigan Board of Education (UPI-4);
10. The murder trial and acquittal of Detroit police officer Ronald August arising out of the Algiers Motel incident (AP-9);
11. The emergence of Robert P. Griffin as a force in the United States Senate with his selection as whip (UPI-9);
12. The death of Dr. Leroy G. Augenstein, a member of the Michigan State Board of Education and a potential U.S. Senate candidate in 1970, in a private plane crash on November 8 (AP-10, UPI-10).^[5]

The UPI also selected the state's top 10 sports stories as follows:^[6]

1. The 1969 Ohio State vs. Michigan football game with Michigan upsetting undefeated and No. 1 ranked Ohio State on November 22;^[7]
2. The 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team tying for the Big Ten Conference championship and receiving the conference's berth to play in the 1970 Rose Bowl;^[8]
3. Spencer Haywood, basketball player at the University of Detroit, selected as an All-American and decided to turn pro;^[9]
4. The October 16 firing of Bill Gadsby as the Detroit Red Wings's coach with Sid Abel taking over coaching duties;^[10]
5. The August 10 firing of Johnny Sain as the Detroit Tigers' pitching coach after a public rift with manager Mayo Smith;^[11]
6. The first and last Michigan Golf Classic, held at the Shenandoah Golf and County Club, which became the first PGA Tour event in modern history to default on its obligation to pay purse money;^[12]
7. The 1969 Detroit Lions finishing with their best record since 1962;^[13]
8. Gordie Howe tallying a career-high 103 points at age 41;^[14]
9. The 1969 Detroit Tigers failing to repeat as American League champions and finishing in second place in the new American League East;^[15]
10. (tie) The September 10 death of Michigan State basketball coach John E. Benington from a heart attack in the coaches' locker room at Jenison Fieldhouse,^[16] and Dave Bing's September 2 announcement that he would leave the Detroit Pistons in 1971 to play for the Washington Capitols in the ABA.^[17]

In music, the year's highlights in Michigan included albums from Michigan bands Tommy James and the Shondells (featuring "Crimson and Clover" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion"), The Stooges (featuring "I Wanna Be Your Dog"), Bob Seger (featuring "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man"), the MC5 (Kick Out the Jams), Alice Cooper, and Grand Funk Railroad, and Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. continued to produce hit records by The Temptations ("I Can't Get Next to You"), Diana Ross & the Supremes ("Someday We'll Be Together"), Stevie Wonder ("My Cherie Amour"), The Jackson 5 ("I Want You Back"), and Marvin Gaye ("Too Busy Thinking About My Baby").