1963 in Michigan

← 1962 1961 1960 1963 in Michigan → 1964 1965 1966
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 1963 in the United States

Events from the year 1963 in Michigan.

The Detroit Free Press^[1] and the Associated Press^[2] each selected the top 10 news stories in Michigan. The top stories included the following:

1. The voters' adoption of a new Michigan Constitution (AP-1, DFP-1);
2. Gov. George W. Romney's fiscal reform campaign, including a proposed state income tax that was defeated by the Legislature (AP-2, DFP-4);
3. A boom year for the automobile industry (AP-6, DFP-2);
4. Racial demonstrations, including the June 23 Detroit Walk to Freedom that drew an estimated crowd of 125,000 and was known as "the largest civil rights demonstration in the nation's history" up to that date (AP-7, DFP-3);
5. A botulism outbreak that (i) killed two Grosse Ile women in March tied to canned tuna, (ii) resulted in two additional deaths in October tied to smoked whitefish, and (iii) caused five deaths in the south traced to Michigan-packaged smoked chubs; some of the botulism was traced to smoked fish canned in Grand Haven (AP-4, DFP-7);
6. The ouster of Joe Collins led by former Gov. John Swainson and selection of Zolton Ferency as chairman of the state Democratic Party at the February convention in Grand Rapids (AP-9, DFP-6);
7. Detroit's bid to host the 1968 Summer Olympics, ending with the International Olympic Committee's selection of Mexico City on October 18 (AP-8, DFP-8);
8. The April escape of four prisoners from the Michigan State Prison in Jackson leading to an intensive manhunt (AP-11 [tie], DFP-9);
9. The disappearance and murder of Joan Watkins, a 28-year-old housewife and mother from Brooklyn, Michigan (AP-11 [tie], DFP-10);
10. The impact on Michigan of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (AP-3);
11. Gov. George W. Romney's first year in office (AP-5);
12. An April election in which Detroit voters rejected school millage and building bonds (a schools only proposal passed in November) (DFP-5); and
13. The suspension of Alex Karras by the Detroit Lions as a result of a betting scandal (AP-10).

The United Press International (UPI) selected the state's top sports stories as follows:^[3]

1. The suspension of Alex Karras by the Detroit Lions;
2. The June 18 firing of Bob Scheffing as manager of the Detroit Tigers;
3. Detroit's loss of its bid to host the 1968 Summer Olympics;
4. Gordie Howe's 545th regular season goal on November 10, breaking the NHL record set by Maurice Richard;
5. The 1963 Michigan State Spartans football team's unsuccessful bid to play in the 1964 Rose Bowl, losing to Illinois in the final game of the season;
6. William Clay Ford Sr.'s November 22 purchase of a controlling interest in the Detroit Lions;
7. The November 18 trade of Rocky Colavito by the Detroit Tigers to the Kansas City Athletics;
8. The collapse of the 1962 Detroit Lions season after numerous injuries;
9. The July 27 collapse of a bridge into the Clinton River, causing injury to 48 persons, during a golf tournament at Hillcrest Country Club in Macomb County; and
10. The 1962–63 Detroit Red Wings playing in the 1963 Stanley Cup Finals.