2010 in Michigan

← 2009 2008 2007 2010 in Michigan → 2011 2012 2013
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 2010 in the United States

This article reviews the top news stories, sports stories, and cultural events occurring during the year 2010 in Michigan.

Top stories

The top news stories of 2010 in Michigan included:

• Kalamazoo River oil spill resulted in the release of more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil into Talmadge Creek in Marshall that flowed into the Kalamazoo River.
• 2010 Michigan elections: Republicans swept the November elections for statewide offices, including Rick Snyder election as Governor of Michigan
• Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick went to jail and faced federal charges.
• Recovery in the automobile industry and the debut of the Chevrolet Volt
• The stabbing of 14 people in the Flint area by a serial stabber and the arrest of Elias Abuelazam in August
• A statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants
• Michigan's unemployment rate starting the year at 14.3%, the highest in the country, and dropping to 12.4% in November

^[1]

The Big Chill at the Big House

The top sports stories of 2010 in Michigan included the Michigan State football team tying for the Big Ten championship with Kirk Cousins at quarterback; the Michigan State football team advancing to the Final Four led by Draymond Green; Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game; the Detroit Red Wings compiling 44–24–14 record with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg each tallyng 70 points; and The Big Chill at the Big House setting a hockey record with over 100,000 in attendance.

Notable deaths connected to Michigan included Detroit Tigers radio announcer Ernie Harwell, Detroit Tigers managers Sparky Anderson and Ralph Houk, Michigan football legend Ron Kramer, Michigan and Detroit Tigers baseball player Steve Boros, Detroit Red Wings enforcer Bob Probert, The Knack guitarist and singer Doug Fieger, Gumby creator Art Clokey, and Presidential press secretary Jerald terHorst.

Office holders

State office holders

Jennifer Granholm

• Governor of Michigan - Jennifer Granholm (Democrat)
• Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: John D. Cherry (Democrat)
• Michigan Attorney General - Mike Cox (Republican)
• Michigan Secretary of State - Terri Lynn Land (Republican)
• Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Andy Dillon (Democrat)
• Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate: Mike Bishop (Republican)
• Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court: Marilyn Jean Kelly

Federal office holders

Carl Levin

Debbie Stabenow

• U.S. Senator from Michigan - Carl Levin (Democrat)
• U.S. Senator from Michigan - Debbie Stabenow (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: Dale Kildee (Democrat)
• House District 6: Fred Upton (Republican)
• House District 7: Tim Walberg (Republican)
• House District 8: Mike Rogers (Republican)
• House District 9: Gary Peters (Democrat)
• House District 10: Candice Miller (Republican)
• House District 11: Thaddeus McCotter (Republican)
• House District 12: Sander Levin (Democrat)
• House District 13: Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Democrat)
• House District 14: John Conyers (Democrat)
• House District 15: John Dingell (Democrat)

Mayors of major cities

Dave Bing

• Mayor of Detroit: - Dave Bing (Democrat)
• Mayor of Grand Rapids: - George Heartwell
• Mayor of Ann Arbor: John Hieftje (Democrat)
• Mayor of Lansing: Virgil Bernero
• Mayor of Flint: Dayne Walling
• Mayor of Saginaw: Greg Branch

Sports

Baseball

Miguel Cabrera

• 2010 Detroit Tigers season - In their fifth year under manager Jim Leyland, the Tigers compiled an 81–81 record. The team's statistical leaders included Miguel Cabrera (.328 batting average, 38 home runs, and 126 RBIs), Justin Verlander (18 wins, 219 strikeouts) and Joel Zumaya (2.58 earned run average).^[2]
• Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game - On June 2, pitcher Armando Galarraga retired the first 26 batters, but his bid for a perfect game was ruined one out short when first-base umpire Jim Joyce incorrectly ruled that Indians batter Jason Donald reached first base safely on a ground ball.^[3]

American football

Calvin Johnson

• 2010 Detroit Lions season - In their second season under head coach Jim Schwartz, the Lions compiled a 6–10 record. Ndamukong Suh and Calvin Johnson were selected to the Pro Bowl.
• 2010 Michigan State Spartans football team - In their fourth season under head coach Mark Dantonio, the Spartans compiled an 11–2 record and tied for the Big Ten championship. The team's statistical leaders included Kirk Cousins (2,825 passing yards) and Edwin Baker (1,201 rushing yards).^[4]
• 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team - In their final season under head coach Rich Rodriguez, the Wolverines compiled a 7–6. Denard Robinson was selected as the team's most valuable player.

Basketball

Rodney Stuckey

• 2009–10 Detroit Pistons season - In their first year under head coach John Kuester, the Pistons compiled a 27–55 record. The team's statistical leaders included Rodney Stuckey (1,215 points, 348 assists) and Ben Wallace (597 rebounds).^[5]
• 2009–10 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team - 28–9, advanced to Final Four, Draymond Green
• 2009–10 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team - 15–17, DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris MVPs

Ice hockey

Henrik Zetterberg

• 2009–10 Detroit Red Wings season - In their fifth season under head coach Mike Babcock, the Red Wings compiled a 44–24–14 record. Nicklas Lidstrom was the team captain. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg each tallied 70 points.^[6]
• 2009–10 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season - Led by head coach Red Berenson, the Wolverines compiled a 17-15-1 record.
• The Big Chill at the Big House - Michigan vs. Michigan State at Michigan Stadium, set a record for hockey attendance

Other

• 2010 Carfax 400
• 2010 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400

Chronology of events

January

• January 6 - Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was indicted for his shoe-bombing attempt on Christmas Day. The goverment asked for the death penalty. He was arraigned on January 8.
• January 20 - Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was ordered to pay $240,000 within 90 days.
• January 28 - Ford reported a $2.8 billion profit for 2009.

February

• February 2 - DeDan Milton, an aide and childhood friend of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, pleaded guilty to bribery and extortion conspiracy as part of a plea deal requiring him to cooperate in the prosecution of Kilpatrick.
• February 3 - Justin Verlander signed a five-year, $80 million contract with the Tigers.
• February 7 - Dick LeBeau inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player.
• February 8 - The federal government agreed to spen $78 million to control the spread of Asian carp in the Great Lakes.
• February 20 - Johnny Damon signed a one-year, $8-million contract with the Tigers.
• February 22 - Two pairs who trained at a Canton ice skating club won gold and silver in the ice dancing pairs competition at the Winter Olympics.
• February 23 - The NCAA accused Michigan football under Rich Rodriguez of five potential major violations.

March

April

May

• May 1 - A statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants went into effect.
• May 16 - Killing of Aiyana Jones

June

July

• July 25 - Kalamazoo River oil spill resulted in the release of more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil into Talmadge Creek in Marshall that flowed into the Kalamazoo River. The oil leaked from a 30-inch pipeline owned by Enbridge Energy Partners.^[7]

August

• August 11 - Elias Abuelazam, a suspect in the Flint serial stabbing case, was arrested in Atlanta while trying to board a flight to Israel. He was flown to Flint on August 26.^[8] He was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

September

October

November

• November 2 - 2010 Michigan elections: Republicans swept the November elections for statewide offices, including:

• 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election - Rick Snyder received 1,874,834 votes (58.11%), defeating Brenda Lawrence who received 1,287,320 votes (39.9%).
• 2010 Michigan Attorney General election - Bill Schuette defeated David Leyton.
• 2010 Michigan Secretary of State election - Ruth Johnson defeated Jocelyn Benson.

December

Deaths

• January 8 - Art Clokey, pioneer in stop-motion clay animation (creator of Gumby), at age 88^[9]
• January 11 - Robben Wright Fleming, President of University of Michigan (1968–1979), at age 93^[10]
• January 15 - Marshall Warren Nirenberg, biochemist, geneticist, and Nobel Prize winner, at age 82^[11]
• February 3 - Dick McGuire, Detroit Pistons head coach (1959–63), at age 84^[12]
• February 5 - Clarke Scholes, swimmer and Olympic gold medalist in 1952, at age 79^[13]
• February 13 - Red Rocha, Detroit Pistons coach (1957–60), at age 86^[14]
• February 14 - Doug Fieger, guitarist and lead vocalist of The Knack, at age 57^[15]
• March 14 - Altie Taylor, Detroit Lions running back (1969–1975), at age 62^[16]
• March 18 - Jerry York, former Chrysler and IBM executive, at age 71^[17]
• March 31 - Jerald terHorst, White House Press Secretary, quit in protest over Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon, at age 87^[18]
• April 11 - Mel Ravitz, Detroit city council (1961-73, 1981-97) and advocate for poor^[19]
• May 4 - Ernie Harwell, Detroit Tigers radio announcer (1960–2002), at age 92^[20]
• May 6 - Robin Roberts, MLB pitcher and Michigan State athlete, at age 82^[21]
• May 11 - Doris Eaton Travis, dancer and actress, at age 106^[22]
• May 16 - Hank Jones, jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, at age 91^[23]
• June 4 - Mack Supronowicz, Michigan basketball (1947–1950), at age 83
• June 9 - Bobby Kromm, Detroit Red Wings coach (1977–1980), at age 82^[24]
• June 19 - Marvin L. Esch, US Congressman (1967–1977), at age 82^[25]
• July 5 - Bob Probert, Detroit Red Wings left wing and enforcer (1985–1994), at age 45^[26]
• July 6 - Harvey Fuqua, singer, songwriter, producer, and Motown executive, at age 80^[27]
• July 21 - Ralph Houk, Tigers manager (1974–1978), at age 90^[28]
• August 14 - Abbey Lincoln, jazz singer and civil rights activist, at age 80^[29]
• September 11 - Ron Kramer, Michigan football end, All-American (1955 and 1956), at age 75^[30]
• September 22 - Don Doll, Detroit Lions safety (1949–52), NFL record four interceptions in a game, at age 84^[31]
• October 23 - Ralph Belknap Baldwin, planetary scientist specializing in lunar craters, at age 98
• October 23 - Vince Banonis, center for University of Detroit football, All-American 1941, at age 89^[32]
• November 4 - Sparky Anderson, Detroit Tigers manager (1979–1995), at age 76^[33]
• November 20 - Rob Lytle, Michigan running back (1973–76), at age 56^[34]
• December 20 - Bill Yearby, Michigan defensive end, All-American (1964 and 1965), at age 66^[35]
• December 22 - Fred Foy, radio and television announcer and actor, best known for The Lone Ranger intro, at age 89^[36]
• December 26 - Geraldine Doyle, mistakenly promoted in the media as the possible real-life model for the World War II era "We Can Do It!" poster, at age 86
• December 28 - Bill Lajoie, general manager of Detroit Tigers (1984–1990), at age 76
• December 29 - Steve Boros, UM baseball (1956–57) and Detroit Tigers (1957–62), at age 74^[37][38]

Gallery

• 
  Sparky Anderson
• 
  Ralph Belknap Baldwin
• 
  Vince Banonis
• 
  Don Doll
• 
  Marvin L. Esch
• 
  Doug Fieger
• 
  Ron Kramer

See also

• History of Michigan
• History of Detroit

References

1. "Top 10 of 2010: A look back at Michigan's biggest news stories of the year". MLive.com. December 31, 2010.
2. "2010 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
3. "Robbed!". Detroit Free Press. June 3, 2010. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "2010 Michigan State Spartans Stats". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
5. "2009-10 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
6. "2009-10 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics". Hockey Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
7. "Leak spews oil in Kalamazoo River: 840,000 gallons result of broken pipeline". Battle Creek Enquirer. July 27, 2010. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Suspected serial stabber Elias Abuelazam arrives at Flint's Bishop International Airport, on way to Genesee County Jail The Flint Journal (via MLive.com) August 26, 2010
9. "Gumby creator Art Clokey dies at 88". Battle Creek Enquirer. January 10, 2010. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Robben Fleming: Led U-M through turbulent times". Detroit Free Press. January 12, 2010. p. 4A – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Marshall Nirenberg, 82, Nobel-winning biochemist". The Bulletin. January 30, 2010. p. C7 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Dick McGuire, Knicks star; led team to 3 straight finals". The Boston Globe. February 5, 2010. p. B13 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Gold medalist Scholes, 79, dies". Lansing State Journal. February 6, 2010. p. 8B – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Rocha". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. February 14, 2010. pp. A1, A2 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Doug Fieger 1952-2010: Rocker from Oak Park sang 'My Sharona' with the Knack". Detroit Free Press. February 15, 2010. p. 11A – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Utah State great Taylor dies at 62". The Spectrum & Daily News. March 20, 2010. p. B2 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Jerry York 1938-2010: Ex-Chrysler, IBM chief of finance was candid". Detroit Free Press. March 19, 2010. p. 10A – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Jerald terHorst: Quit as Ford's press secretary over pardon". Detroit Free Press. April 2, 2010. p. 13A – via Newspapers.com.
19. "Mel Ravitz: Former city councilman fought tirelessly for residents of Detroit". Detroit Free Press. April 16, 2010. p. 14A – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Our voice of summer". Detroit Free Press. May 5, 2010. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Robin Roberts dies: Hall of Famer was two-sport star at MSU". Daily Press & Argus. May 7, 2010. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
22. "Doris Eaton Travis: Last of the Ziegfeld Follies Girls". Detroit Free Press. May 13, 2010. p. 15A – via Newspapers.com.
23. "Hank Jones 1918-2010: Chairman of the Keyboard". Detroit Free Press. May 18, 2010. p. 12A – via Newspapers.com.
24. "Kromm dies; he was coach of year in '77-78 -- his first season". Detroit Free Press. June 11, 2010. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
25. "Ex-Congressman Esch dead at 82". The Ann Arbor News. June 24, 2010. p. A7 – via Newspapers.com.
26. "Bob Probert: 1956-2010; Original Bad Boy". Detroit Free Press. July 6, 2010. p. 4B – via Newspapers.com.
27. "Harvey Fuqua, 80: Singer-songwriter-producer was mentor to Marvin Gaye". Detroit Free Press. July 7, 2010. p. 7A – via Newspapers.com.
28. "Ex-Tigers manager Houk dies at age 90". Daily Press & Argus. July 22, 2010. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
29. "Jazz singer, actress Abbey Lincoln dies at 80: Kalamazoo Central graduate became known as a 'black Monroe'". Kalamazoo Gazette. August 15, 2010. p. A15 – via Newspapers.com.
30. "Former Michigan great Ron Kramer dies at 75: A giant on, off the field". The Ann Arbor News. September 12, 2010. p. B6 – via Newspapers.com.
31. "Doll dies at 84; 1949-52 safety holds NFL records". Detroit Free Press. September 29, 2010. p. 4B – via Newspapers.com.
32. "Detroit football great Vince Banonis dies". Detroit Free Press. October 26, 2010. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
33. "So Long, Sparky: Ailing Spary wouldn't miss last trip to Cooperstown". Detroit Free Press. November 5, 2010. p. 13A – via Newspapers.com.
34. "Lytle Was King at U-M: Rushing legend, former All-America dies of heart attack". Detroit Free Press. November 22, 2010. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
35. "All-American U-M player Bill Yearby dies". The Herald-Palladium. December 29, 2010. p. C2 – via Newspapers.com.
36. "Fred Foy, 89, distinctive voice of 'Lone Ranger' show". The Boston Globe. December 23, 2010. p. B11 – via Newspapers.com.
37. "Steve Boros dies at 74; former major league infielder and manager: He played a key behind-the-scenes role in the Dodgers' opening-game victory over the Oakland Athletics in the 1988 World Series". Los Angeles Times. January 1, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
38. "Ex-Tiger Steve Boros dies at 74". The Detroit Free Press. December 31, 2010.