1996 in Michigan

← 1995 1994 1993 1996 in Michigan → 1997 1998 1999
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 1996 in the United States

This article reviews 1996 in Michigan , including the state's office holders, performance of sports teams, a chronology of the state's top news and sports stories, and notable Michigan-related births and deaths.

Top Michigan news stories

• Voters autorize casino gambling - On November 5, Michigan voters narrowly passed Proposal E, enacting the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act and allowing the establishment of three casinos in Detroit. The proposal passed with 1,878,542 votes, 51.51% of the total.
• Democratic victories in November elections - In the November 5 elections, Michigan voters chose Bill Clinton for President (51.69%) over Bob Dole (38.48%) and Ross Perot (8.75%). They also reelected Carl Levin with 58.36% of the votes over Ronna Romney (39.88%).
• Detroit newspaper strike of 1995–1997

Office holders

State office holders

Gov. Engler

• Governor of Michigan: John Engler (Republican)
• Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Connie Binsfeld (Republican)
• Michigan Attorney General: Frank J. Kelley (Democrat)
• Michigan Secretary of State: Candice Miller (Republican)
• Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Paul Hillegonds (Republican)
• Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate: Dick Posthumus (Republican)
• Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court: James H. Brickley

Mayors of major cities

• Mayor of Detroit: Dennis Archer
• Mayor of Grand Rapids: John H. Logie
• Mayor of Warren, Michigan: Ronald L. Bonkowski/Mark Steenbergh
• Mayor of Flint: Woodrow Stanley
• Mayor of Dearborn: Michael Guido
• Mayor of Lansing: David Hollister
• Mayor of Ann Arbor: Ingrid Sheldon
• Mayor of Saginaw: Gary L. Loster

Federal office holders

Sen. Riegle

Sen. Levin

• U.S. Senator from Michigan: Spencer Abraham (Republican)
• U.S. Senator from Michigan: Carl Levin (Democrat)
• House District 1: Bart Stupak (Democrat)
• House District 2: Pete Hoekstra (Republican)
• House District 3: Vern Ehlers (Republican)
• House District 4: Dave Camp (Republican)
• House District 5: James A. Barcia (Democrat)
• House District 6: Fred Upton (Republican)
• House District 7: Nick Smith (Republican)
• House District 8: Milton Robert Carr (Democrat)
• House District 9: Dale Kildee (Democrat)
• House District 10: David Bonior (Democrat)
• House District 11: Joe Knollenberg (Republican)
• House District 12: Sander Levin (Democrat)
• House District 13: Lynn Rivers (Democrat)
• House District 14: John Conyers (Democrat)
• House District 15: Barbara-Rose Collins (Democrat)
• House District 16: John Dingell (Democrat)

Sports

Baseball

• 1996 Detroit Tigers season – In their first season under manager Buddy Bell, the Tigers compiled a 53–109 record. The team's statistical leaders included Tony Clark (27 home runs), Travis Fryman (100 RBIs), Bobby Higginson (.320 batting average), and Omar Olivares (7 wins, 113 strikeouts) ^[1]

American football

• 1996 Detroit Lions season – In their 12th year under head coach Wayne Fontes, the Lions compiled a 5–11 record. The team's statistical leaders included Scott Mitchell (2,917 passing yards), Barry Sanders (1,553 rushing yards), and Herman Moore (1,296 receiving yards). ^[2]
• 1996 Michigan Wolverines football team – In their secon season under head coach Lloyd Carr, the Wolverines compiled an 8–4 record, losing to Alabama in the Outback Bowl. The team's statstical leaders inclued Scott Dreisbach (2,025 passing yards), Clarence Williams (779 rushing yards), and Tai Streets (718 receiving yards). ^[3]
• 1996 Michigan State Spartans football team – In their second season under head coach Nick Saban, the Spartans compiled a 6–6 record, including a loss to Stanford in the Sun Bowl. The team's statistical leaders included Todd Schultz (1,625 passing yards), Sedrick Irvin (1,036 rushing yards), and Derrick Mason (822 receiving yards). ^[4]

Basketball

• 1995–96 Detroit Pistons season – In their third year under head coach Don Chaney, the Pistons compiled a 46–36 record. Grant Hill led the team with 1,618 points, 783 rebounds, and 548 assists. ^[5]

Ice hockey

• 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings season – Under head coach Scotty Bowman, the Red Wings compiled a 62–13–7 record and lost in the Western Conference finals to the Colorado Avalanche. Sergei Federov led the team with 39 goals, 68 assists, and 107 points. ^[6]

Other

• 1996 ITT Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit

Chronology of events

May

• May 29 - The Detroit Red Wings were eliminated in the Western Conference finals, losing to the Colorado Avalance in the sixth game by a 4-1 score. ^[7]

November

• November 5 - election day in Michigan

• 1996 United States presidential election in Michigan: Democrat Bill Clinton won in Michigan with 1,989,653 botes (51.69$%), defeating Republican Bob Dole (38.48%) and Reform Party candidate Ross Perot (8.75%).
• 1996 United States Senate election in Michigan: Carl Levin was reelected with 2,196,738 votes (48.36%), defeating Ronna Romney who garnered 1,500,106 votes (39.88%).
• Proposal E - was passed in close voting with 1,878,542 votes (51.51%), enacting the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act.

December

• December 20 - Gov. John Engler appointed five persons to serve on the new Michigan Gaming Control Board, having the taks of ensuring that the three casinos planned for Detroit would be operated honestly. The appointees were Thomas Denomme of Chrysler, lawyer Taylor Segue III, former Michigan first lady Paula Blanchard, former director of state police Ritchie Davis, and retired judge Michael Stacey. ^[8]

Births

• May 21 - Chase Sui Wonders, actress, screenwriter, model, in Bloomfield Hills
• July 13 - Jena Irene Asciutto, singer-songwriter, American Idol runner-up, in Farmington Hills
• October 29 - Hannah Miller, figure skater, raised in Williamston
• November 20 - Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers pitcher, 2x Cy Young Award, in California
• November 21 - Tyler Mabry, tight end, in Ypislanti

Deaths

• January 8 - Robert Moyers, leader in orthodontics, at age 76
• January 28 - Joseph Brodsky, Nobel Prize in literature, professor at U-M, at age 55
• January 11 - Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings goalie (1963–1970), at age 53
• January 24 - Tom Tracy, CFL/NFL halfback-fullback (1955-64), at age 61
• April 19 - Ken Doherty, US decathlon champion (1928–29), track coach at U-M (1930–48), at age 90
• May 6 - Donald T. Campbell, social scientist, coined term evolutionary epistemology, at age 79
• May 7 - Patricia Beeman, East Lansing-based leaders of efforts to fight apartheid in South Africa, at age 70
• May 16 - Olga Madar, first woman to serve on United Auto Workers International Executive Boards, at age 80
• May 17 - Scott Brayton, race car driver, died in a crash at Indianapolis 500, at age 37
• May 19 - Tom Kuzma, U-M halfback (1941), at age 74
• May 30 - Arthur Ross, singer, songwriter, younger brother of Diana Ross, at age 47
• June 27 - Merze Tate, first African-American graduate of Western Michigan, first African-American woman to attend the University of Oxford, at age 91
• July 10 - Alex Manoogian, businessman who founded Masco, donated the Manoogian Mansion to Detroit, at age 95
• August 13 - T. John Lesinski, lieutenant governor (1961–65), at age 71
• August 31 - Richard E. Cross, automobile executive, lawyer, and civil rights activist, at age 85
• September 6 - Barney McCosky, Detroit Tigers outfielder (1939–46), at age 79
• October 4 - Alma Routsong, novlist known for lesbian fiction, at age 71
• October 15 - Robert F. Williams, civil rights leader, at age 71
• November 14 - Elman Service, cultural anthropologist who joined the Abraham Lincon brigade during the Spanish Civil War, at age 81
• November 18 - Greer Lankton, transgedner artist known for lifelike sewn dolls, at age 38
• November 22 - Mark Lenard, actor (Spock's father in Star Trek) raised in South Haven, at age 72
• November 30 - Ted Petoskey, three-sport star at U-M (1931–34), at age 85
• December 25 - Tony Dauksza, football player, filmmaker, outdoorsman, at age 84
• December 30 - Lucille H. McCollough, Michigan legislature (1955-1982), her 100% voting attendances for 37 years is recorded in Guinness Book of World Records , at age 90

See also

• 1996 in the United States

References

1. "1996 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
2. "1996 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
3. "1996 Michigan Wolverines Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
4. "1996 Michigan State Spartans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
5. "1995–96 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
6. "1995–96 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
7. Keith Gave, Viv Bernstein (May 30, 1996). "41 and countng". Detroit Free Press. p. 1C – via Newspapers.com.
8. Tina Lam, Chris Christoff (December 21, 1996). "Engler appoints state gambling panel". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1A, 11A.