1971 in Michigan

← 1970 1969 1968 1971 in Michigan → 1972 1973 1974
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 1971 in the United States

Events from the year 1971 in Michigan.

The Associated Press (AP) selected the top 10 news stories in Michigan as follows:^[1]

1. Court-ordered busing in the Pontiac public schools (AP-1);
2. An order by federal judge Stephen Roth finding that the Detroit public schools were segregated by law, triggering concerns that he might order cross-district busing as a remedy (AP-2);
3. The Michigan Legislature's reducing the age of adulthood to 18 (AP-3);
4. A Supreme Court decision banning public aid to parochial schools (AP-4);
5. The Michigan Legislature's adoption of a 50% increase in the state income tax (AP-5);
6. Gov. William Milliken's plan to change the source of education funding by cutting local property taxes and raising the state income tax (AP-6);
7. The Michigan Legislature's reduction of penalties for drug possession (AP-7);
8. The debate concerning the state's budget which totaled more than $2 billion (AP-8);
9. An explosion on December 11 in a water tunnel being built under Lake Huron near Port Huron resulted when methane gas built up and caused the deaths of 21 workers (AP-9); and
10. A court challenge to the constitutionality of the property tax as a mechanism for funding education (AP-10).

The AP also selected the state's top 10 sports stories as follows:^[2]

1. The death of Detroit Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes after collapsing on the field with a heart attack during a game;
2. The retirement of Gordie Howe after 25 years with the Detroit Red Wings;
3. The Lions' release of Alex Karras despite having two years remaining on his contract;
4. Mickey Lolich winning 25 games and finishing second in voting for the Cy Young Award;
5. The 1971 Michigan Wolverines football team compiling a perfect 11-0 record during the regular season;
6. The 1970–71 Detroit Red Wings finishing in last place and the resignation of Ned Harkness as general manager;
7. Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn suffering a heart attack the week before the Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry game;
8. The resignation of Butch Van Breda Kolff as head coach of the Detroit Pistons and the hiring of Earl Lloyd as the first African-American coach in Detroit professional sports history;
9. The 1971 Major League Baseball All-Star Game held at Tiger Stadium in Detroit and home runs in that game by Reggie Jackson, Harmon Killebrew, and Frank Robinson; and
10. Eric Allen who set an NCAA single-game rushing record as halfback for the 1971 Michigan State Spartans football team.