1971 in Michigan

Events from the year 1971 in Michigan.

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

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:

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.