1984 in Michigan

1984 in Michigan
History of Michigan
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1982 1983 ← → 1985 1986

Events from the year 1984 in Michigan.

Top Michigan news stories

The Associated Press (AP) selected the state's top news stories as follows:[1][2]

1. The July 16 decision by Consumers Power to shut down the Midland Nuclear Power Plant which was 85% complete, but had experienced massive cost overruns and total costs in excess of $3.6 billion;
2. (tie) The takeover of the Michigan Senate by Republicans in February 1984 following special elections to replace two Democratic Senators (Philip Mastin and David Serotkin) who had been ousted in 1983 recall elections targeting legislators who voted in favor of a 38% income tax increase;[3]
2. (tie) The resurgence of the automobile industry, including increased sales and profits and the announcement by Mazda that it would build a $450 million plant in Flat Rock, Michigan;
4. The United Auto Workers' six-day strike against 17 General Motors plants in September;
5. (tie) The defeat of Proposition C, a ballot initiative dubbed "Voter's Choice" which would have rolled back taxes to 1981 levels, required voter approval for future tax increases, and reduced Detroit's non-resident income tax;
5. (tie) The resurgence of the state's economy, including a decline in unemployment and a state budget surplus of $282 million;
7. The sentencing of Upjohn heir Roger A. Gauntlett, age 43, to "chemical castration" (through five years of treatment with Depo-Provera) for the repeated rape of his teenage stepdaughter.[4] (The Depo-Provera aspect of the sentence was later reversed on appeal.)
8. (tie) The tarnishing of Detroit's image due to violent outbreaks in October, including a shooting death and other violence amid the celebration of the Detroit Tigers' October 14 victory in the 1984 World Series,[5] and hundreds of fires set in Detroit on October 30, "Devil's night";[6]
8. (tie) The federal civil rights trial, following protests over lenient state court sentencing (probation and fines), of Chrysler plant superintendent Ronald Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz, in the racially motivated Murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man who was beaten to death in June 1982 with a baseball bat after an altercation at the Fancy Pants Lounge, a Woodward Avenue strip club. Ebens was convicted on June 28 in the federal case and sentenced on September 18 to 25 years in federal prison.[7] (The appellate court later ordered a new trial that resulted in Ebens' acquittal on May 1, 1987.)
10. (tie) The comeback of Chrysler Corporation after repaying federal loan guarantees in 1983 and achieving record earnings of $803 million in the quarter from April to June 1984; and
10. (tie) The House of Judah controversies, including the trial and conviction of three members of the religious camp in South Haven arising out of the July 1983 beating death of 12-year-old John Yarbough, the conviction of another member for raping a 13-year-old girl, the removal of 66 children from the camp, and the death of two other children in a mobile home fire in October 1984.[8][9]

Office holders

State office holders
Gov. Blanchard

Mayors of major cities

Federal office holders
Sen. Riegle
Sen. Levin

Population

In the 1980 United States Census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 9,259,000 persons, ranking as the eighth most populous state in the country. By 1990, the state's population had grown only marginally by 0.4% to 9,259,000 persons.

Cities

The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 50,000 based on 1980 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1970 and 1990 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1980
Rank		 City County 1970 Pop. 1980 Pop. 1990 Pop. Change 1980-90
1DetroitWayne1,514,0631,203,3681,027,974−14.6%
2Grand RapidsKent197,649181,843189,1264.0%
3WarrenMacomb179,260161,134144,864−10.1%
4FlintGenesee193,317159,611140,761−11.8%
5LansingIngham131,403130,414127,321−2.4%
6Sterling HeightsMacomb61,365108,999117,8108.1%
7Ann ArborWashtenaw100,035107,969109,5921.5%
8LivoniaWayne110,109104,814100,850−3.8%
9DearbornWayne104,19990,66089,286−1.5%
10WestlandWayne86,74984,60384,7240.1%
11KalamazooKalamazoo85,55579,72280,2770.7%
12TaylorWayne70,02077,56870,811−8.7%
13SaginawSaginaw91,84977,50869,512−10.3%
14PontiacOakland85,27976,71571,166−7.2%
15St. Clair ShoresMacomb88,09376,21068,107−10.6%
16SouthfieldOakland69,29875,60875,7450.2%
17Royal OakOakland86,23870,89365,410−7.7%
18Dearborn HeightsWayne80,06967,70660,838−10.1%
19TroyOakland39,41967,10272,8848.6%
20WyomingKent56,56059,61663,8917.2%
21Farmington HillsOakland--58,05674,61128.5%
22RosevilleMacomb60,52954,31151,412−5.3%
23East LansingIngham47,54051,39250,677−1.4%

Counties

The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1980 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1970 and 1990 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1980
Rank		 County Largest city 1970 Pop. 1980 Pop. 1990 Pop. Change 1980-90
1WayneDetroit2,666,7512,337,8912,111,687−9.7%
2OaklandPontiac907,8711,011,7931,083,5927.1%
3MacombWarren625,309694,600717,4003.3%
4GeneseeFlint444,341450,449430,459−4.4%
5KentGrand Rapids411,044444,506500,63112.6%
6InghamLansing261,039275,520281,9122.3%
7WashtenawAnn Arbor234,103264,748282,9376.9%
8SaginawSaginaw219,743228,059211,946−7.1%
9KalamazooKalamazoo201,550212,378223,4115.2%
10BerrienBenton Harbor163,875171,276161,378−5.8%
11MuskegonMuskegon157,426157,589158,9830.9%
12OttawaHolland128,181157,174187,76819.5%
13JacksonJackson143,274151,495149,756−1.1%
14CalhounBattle Creek141,963141,557135,982−3.9%
15St. ClairPort Huron120,175138,802145,6074.9%
16MonroeMonroe118,479134,659133,600−0.8%
17BayBay City117,339119,881111,723−6.8%
18LivingstonHowell58,967100,289115,64515.3%

Sports

Baseball

American football

Basketball

Ice hockey

Music and culture

Chronology of events

January
  • January 2 - Coleman Young celebrated the 10th anniversary of his inauguration as Mayor of Detroit.
  • January 2 - No. 8 Michigan lost to No. 3 Auburn by a 9–7 score in the 1984 Sugar Bowl. Al Del Greco kicked three field goals for Auburn.
  • January 6 - The Census Bureau issued a report showing the cities over 50,000 population with the highest percentage of homes occupied by their owners. Redford Township ranked first in the nation with a 91.4% rate of owner-occupied housing. Livonia ranked second at 90.24%; Dearborn Heights was fifth with 85.76%; and St. Clair Shores was seventh with 84.06%.[15]
  • January 8 - Jesse Jackson held a rally attended by 7,000 persons at Calihan Hall at the University of Detroit in support of his presidential campaign.
  • January 9 - The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to a Detroit Police Department requiring promotion of equal numbers of white and black officers.
  • January 9 - General Motors' Board of Directors approved a reorganization consolidating the company's five car divisions into two new groups, one for large cars and the other for small cars.
  • January 11 - Fred Cummings resigned as director of the Detroit Institute of Arts after months of controversy over his management of the museum.
  • January 17 - Death of Samantha Reid
  • January 20 - Two House of Judah members were sentenced to a year in prison and five years probation for child cruelty in the beating death of a 12-year-old boy.
  • January 21 - Detroit recorded a temperature of 21 degrees below zero, the coldest recording in the city since 1872.
  • January 26 - Astronaut Jack Lousma announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to challenge Carl Levin for his seat in the U.S. Senate
  • January 29 - Isaiah Thomas was named the MVP of the NBA All-Star Game.
  • January 30 - Upjohn pharmaceutical heir Roger Gauntlett was sentenced to one year in county jail and five years of probation and ordered to take and experimental drug to reduce the male sex drive. He had been convicted of repeatedly raping his teenage stepdaughter over a seven-year period. The drug, Depo-Provera, was manufactured by Upjohn. In announcing the sentence, the judge described the treatment as "castration by chemical means".[4]
  • January 31 - In special elections to fill the seats of two Democratic members of the Michigan Senate (both had been recalled for supporting an income tax increase), Republican candidates won both contests. The victories gave Republicans control of the Senate for the first time in 10 years.[3]
  • A Michigan State University judicial board found the school's marching band director, Stanley DeRusha, had sexually harassed six women students, including coerced oral sex and multiple instances of sexual touching. DeRusha had been the band director since 1978.[16]

Births

Deaths
  • January 11 - Peter Licavoli, organized crime figure, at age 81 in Tucson, Arizona
  • January 21 - Jackie Wilson, singer and Detroit native, at age 49 in New Jersey[17]
  • January 21 - Rebecca Shelley, pacifist, at age 97 in Battle Creek, Michigan
  • March 18 - Charley Lau, baseball catcher and hitting coach, at age 50 in Florida
  • April 1 - Marvin Gaye, Motown singer, at age 44 in Los Angeles
  • April 29 - Neno DaPrato, American football fullback, at age 91 in Pennsylvania
  • July 14 - Philippé Wynne, singer and member of The Spinners, at age 43 in Oakland, California
  • July 15 - Marcus Plant, law professor and athletic administrator, at age 72 in Ann Arbor
  • July 27 - C. L. Franklin, Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and father of Aretha Franklin, at age 69 in Detroit
  • August 14 - Bobo Jenkins, Detroit blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, at age 68 in Detroit

See also

References
  1. "Midland nuclear plant shutdown state's top story". Detroit Free Press. December 30, 1984. pp. 1B, 11B – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Closure of Midland Plant Top Michigan Story in '84". The Herald-Palladium. December 26, 1984. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Republicans Win Special Elections, Control of Senate". Detroit Free Press. February 1, 1984. pp. 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "'Chemical castration' ordered in Kalamazoo rape". Detroit Free Press. January 31, 1984. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "One killed, others hurt amid revelry". Detroit Free Press. October 15, 1984. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Devil's Night vandals set hundreds of fires". Detroit Free Press. October 31, 1984. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Ebens gets 25 years in Chin case". Detroit Free Press. September 19, 1984. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Fire at 'Judah' Kills 2 Children". The Herald-Palladium. October 19, 1984. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "House of Judah: What police found at the cult's Allegan County compound". Grand Rapids News. June 25, 2013.
  10. "1984 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  11. "1984 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  12. "1984 Michigan Wolverines Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  13. "1983–84 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  14. "1983–84 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  15. "2 Detroit suburbs top U.S. in home ownership listing". Detroit Free Press. January 7, 1984. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Band director harassed MSU women, panel says". Detroit Free Press. February 1, 1984. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Farewell to a star: Rhythm-blues great Jackie Wilson is mourned, praised". Detroit Free Press. January 29, 1984. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
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