1959 in Michigan
Michigan-related events during the year of 1959
Events from the year 1959 in Michigan .
Top stories
The Associated Press [ 1] Detroit Free Press [ 2]
Lansing tax debate (AP-1, 435 points; DFP-1)
The murder of State Trooper Albert W. Souden near Brighton and the arrest of his accused killer (AP-2, 318 points)
The September 22 drowning of 12 members of a family when their small boat was swamped (AP-3, 252 points)
The Michigan Supreme Court's October 21 ruling that the state's four cent sales tax was unconstitutional (AP-4)
Automobile industry's introduction of new, compact cars (AP-5, 214 points; DFP-2)
A University of Michigan student who hid in a church belfry for months (AP-6, 165 points)
The negative impact of the 116-day steel strike of 1959 on the automobile industry (AP-7, 149 points)
The Detroit Tigers' firing manager Bill Norman and hiring of Jimmy Dykes (AP-8, 109 points)
The accidental death in November of former General Motors vice president Harry W. Anderson, shot by former General Motors CEO Harlow Curtice while duck hunting on St. Anne Island in the St. Clair River (AP-9, 107 points; DFP-5)
The Michigan 59ers, a group of Michigander who left the state in March in order to homestead and form a farm community in Alaska called New Michigan (AP-10, 87 points; DFP-3)
Saint Lawrence Seaway opened, and from June 27 to July 9 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip passed through the seaway aboard on the royal yacht HMY Britannia with stops in Windsor and Sarnia on July 2 and 3 (DFP-4)
Office holders
State office holders
Gov. G. Mennen Williams
Mayors of major cities
Patrick V. McNamara Philip Hart
Federal office holders
Population
In the 1950 United States census , Michigan was recorded as having a population of 6,421,000 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1960, the state's population had grown 22.8% to 7,823,194 persons.
Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 40,000 based on 1950 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1940 and 1960 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
1950
City
County
1940 Pop.
1950 Pop.
1960 Pop.
Change 1950-60
1
Detroit Wayne 1,623,452
1,849,568
1,670,144
−9.7%
2
Grand Rapids Kent 164,292
176,515
177,313
0.5%
3
Flint Genesee 151,543
163,143
196,940
20.7%
4
Dearborn Wayne
63,589
94,994
112,007
17.9%
5
Saginaw Saginaw 82,794
92,918
98,265
5.8%
6
Lansing Ingham 78,753
92,129
107,807
17.0%
7
Pontiac Oakland 66,626
73,681
82,233
11.6%
8
Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 54,097
57,704
82,089
42.4%
9
Bay City Bay 47,956
52,523
53,604
2.1%
10
Jackson Jackson 49,656
51,088
50,720
−0.7%
11
Battle Creek Calhoun 43,453
48,666
44,169
−9.2%
12
Muskegon Muskegon 47,697
48,429
46,485
−4.0%
13
Ann Arbor Washtenaw 29,815
48,251
67,340
39.6%
14
Royal Oak Oakland 25,087
46,898
80,612
71.9%
15
Warren Macomb 23,658
42,653
89,246
109.2%
Counties
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1950 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1940 and 1960 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
1980
County
Largest city
1940 Pop.
1950 Pop.
1960 Pop.
Change 1950-60
1
Wayne Detroit 2,015,623
2,435,235
2,666,297
9.5%
2
Oakland Pontiac 254,068
396,001
690,259
74.3%
3
Kent Grand Rapids 246,338
288,292
363,187
26.0%
4
Genesee Flint 227,944
270,963
374,313
38.1%
5
Macomb Warren 107,638
184,961
405,804
119.4%
6
Ingham Lansing 130,616
172,941
211,296
22.2%
7
Saginaw Saginaw 130,468
153,515
190,752
24.3%
8
Washtenaw Ann Arbor 80,810
134,606
172,440
28.1%
9
Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 100,085
126,707
169,712
33.9%
10
Muskegon Muskegon 94,501
121,545
129,943
6.9%
11
Calhoun Battle Creek 94,206
120,813
138,858
14.9%
12
Berrien Benton Harbor 89,117
115,702
149,865
29.5%
13
Jackson Jackson 93,108
108,168
131,994
22.0%
Sports
Baseball
1959 Detroit Lions season – The Lions, under head coach George Wilson , compiled a 3–8–1 record. The team's statistical leaders included Earl Morrall with 1,102 passing yards, Nick Pietrosante and 447 rushing yards, Jim Gibbons with 431 receiving yards, and Howard Cassady with 30 points scored.[ 6] 1959 Michigan State Spartans football team – Under head coach Duffy Daugherty , the Spartans compiled a 5–4 record. The team's statistical leaders included Dean Look with 785 passing yards and Herb Adderly with 419 rushing yards and 265 receiving yards.[ 7] 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team – Under head coach Bump Elliott , the Wolverines compiled a 4-5 record.[ 8] Stan Noskin with 747 passing yards, Fred Julian with 289 rushing yards, and Robert Johnson with 264 receiving yards.[ 9] 1959 Central Michigan Chippewas football team – Under head coach Kenneth "Bill" Kelly , the Chippewas compiled a 7–3 record.[ 10] 1959 Western Michigan Broncos football team – Under head coach Merle Schlosser , the Broncos compiled a 4–5 record.[ 11] 1959 Eastern Michigan Hurons football team – Under head coach Fred Trosko , the Hurons compiled a 1–7 record.[ 12] 1959 Detroit Titans football team – The Titans compiled a 6–4 record under head coach Jim Miller .[ 13]
Basketball
Ice hockey
Boat racing
Golf
Chronology of events
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Births
February 5 - Jennifer Granholm , 47th Governor of Michigan, in Vancouver
June 19 - Mark DeBarge , part of the Motown family group DeBarge and songwriter ("Stay with Me "), in Detroit
August 14 - Magic Johnson , basketball player for Los Angeles Lakers (1979–1991, 1996), 5x NBA champion, 3x NBA MVP, in Lansing, Michigan
September 21 - Dave Coulier , actor (Full House St. Clair Shores, Michigan
October 23 - Sam Raimi , film director (Evil Dead seriesSpider-Man trilogyDarkman Royal Oak, Michigan
no date - Bill Morrison , comic book artist and writer, co-founder and creative director of Bongo Comics (1993-2012), in Lincoln Park, Michigan
Gallery of 1959 births
Deaths
March 17 - Howard Ehmke , pitcher for Detroit Tigers (1916–1922), at age 64 in Philadelphia
April 9 - John Herrmann , writer who lived in Paris in the 1920s as part of its famous expatriate American writers' circle, at age 58 in Mexico
May 15 - Clarence J. McLeod , Congressman from Michigan (1920–1941), at age 63 in Detroit
August 5 - Edgar Guest , poet who became known as the "People's Poet", at age 77 in Detroit
September 7 - Charline White , first African-American woman to be elected to the Michigan Legislature, at age 39 in Detroit
December 2 - Albert J. Engel , Congressman from Michigan (1935–1951), at age 71 in Grand Rapids
Gallery of 1959 deaths
See also
References
^ Charles Cain (December 31, 1959). "Tax Fight Michigan's Top Story of '59" . The Herald-Press . p. IA-1 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Peace Tours, Moon Shots, Strikes and Scandals" . Detroit Free Press . December 27, 1959. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com .^ "1959 Detroit Tigers Statistics" . Baseball-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "2012 University of Michigan Baseball Record Book" (PDF) . University of Michigan. 2012. pp. 22, 71. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2017 .^ 2012 Record Book, p. 13.
^ "1959 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "1959 Michigan State Spartans Stats" . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "1959 Football Team" . University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "1959 Michigan Wolverines Stats" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "Central Michigan 2015 Football Media Guide" (PDF) . Central Michigan University. 2015. pp. 100, 110. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "Football Records: Annual Results" . Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "2014 Digital Media Guide: Eastern Michigan University" (PDF) . Eastern Michigan University Football. pp. 169, 176. Retrieved June 28, 2017 .^ "1959 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "1958–59 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats" . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 8, 2017 .^ "1958-59 Michigan State Spartans Roster and Stats" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "1958–59 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "Big Ten Basketball 2009–10 Media Guide" . CBS Interactive . p. 33. Archived from the original on 2010-07-03. Retrieved September 2, 2010 .^ "Big Ten Basketball 2009–10 Media Guide" . CBS Interactive . p. 34. Archived from the original on 2010-07-03. Retrieved September 2, 2010 .^ Ron Pesch. "Chasing a dream" . Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010 . ^ "1958–59 Detroit Titans Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "1958–59 Western Michigan Broncos Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "1958–59 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics" . Hockey-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "Michigan Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "Michigan Tech Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .^ "Michigan State Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved July 28, 2017 .
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