The March 25 murder of Viola Liuzzo, a civil rights activist from Detroit, by the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama (DFP-6; UPI-2);[4]
The boom in 1965 automobile production, reaching a record high of 11,111,000 vehicles, including 9,331,000 passenger cars (DFP-3, UPI-8);[1]
The May 7 sinking of the SS Cedarville in the Straits of Mackinac after it crashed in the fog with another ship (the Topdalsfjord), resulting in the death of 10 crew members (UPI-3);[5]
The November 2 Detroit election in which Jerome Cavanagh was re-elected as mayor by a two-to-one margin and Nicholas Hood was elected to become the second African-American Councilman in Detroit history (DFP-2);[6]
The refusal to seat Daniel West in the Michigan House of Representatives after it was revealed that he lied about being an honors graduate of Yale Law School and concealed an extensive criminal record (UPI-5);[7]
The November deaths of three surgery patients at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital due to mistakes by an anesthetist (DFP-8, UPI-10);[8]
Benton Harbor and River Rouge repeating as Michigan's Class A and Class B high school basketball champions (the 1965 championship was the fifth straight at the Class B level for River Rouge);[16]
The strong hitting of Willie Horton, playing his first full season in the major leagues, during the first half of the 1965 season (in his first 19 games, Horton had a .403 batting average with 9 home runs and 21 RBIs);[17]
The Detroit Lions' collapse, dropping to sixth place in the NFL West with a 6–7–1 record;[18]
A March 9 heart attack that sidelined Detroit Tigers manager Charlie Dressen for the first part of the 1965 season (Bob Swift took over as manager during Dressen's convalescence);[19]
In the 1960 United States census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 7,823,194 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1970, the state's population had grown 13.4% to 8,875,083 persons.
Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 60,000 based on 1960 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1950 and 1970 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1960 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1950 and 1970 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
1965 Detroit Lions season – The Lions, under head coach Harry Gilmer, compiled a 6–7–1 record and finished in sixth place in the NFL's West Division. The team's statistical leaders included Milt Plum with 1,710 passing yards, Amos Marsh with 495 rushing yards, Terry Barr with 433 receiving yards, and Wayne Walker with 57 points scored.[18]
Michigan Open – Gene Bone, a Pontiac native, won the tournament on August 1, finishing 11 strokes ahead of the second lowest participant.[37]
Boat racing
Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race – The Gypsy won the annual race, becoming the first boat to win the race three times. The Gypsy was skippered by Milwaukee auto dealer Charles Kotovic in a corrected time of 42 hours, 44 minutes, and 13 seconds.[38]
"My Girl" by The Temptations was released on December 21, 1964, rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 6, 1965, and was later ranked No. 88 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It was ranked No. 10 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1965.
February 25- The worst blizzard since 1929 brings the Detroit area to a standstill.
March
March 9 - Detroit Tigers manager Charlie Dressen suffered a heart attack, sidelining him for the first part of the 1965 season.
March 20 - The Michigan basketball team lost to UCLA, 91–80, in the NCAA championship game in Portland, Oregon
March 25 - Civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo from Detroit was shot by members of the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama.
April
April 1 - Forddy Anderson was fired as head coach of the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, a position he held since 1954.
April 11 - The 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak struck Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, with 47 tornadoes, killing 271 people and injuring 1,500.
May 7 - The SS Cedarville, filled with 14,411 tons of limestone, collided with the SS Topdalsfjord near the Mackinac Bridge and sank. Ten crew members on the Cedarville died in the incident.
November 2 - Jerome Cavanagh was re-elected as Mayor of Detroit, and Nicholas Hood was elected as the second African-American to serve on Detroit's city council.
November 7 - Three patients died at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital after anesthetist accidentally injected them with ether.
February 23 - John Kitzmiller, film actor and Battle Creek native, at age 51 in Rome[43]
March 25 - Viola Liuzzo, a civil rights activist from Detroit, killed by the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama at age 39
April 3 - Lloyd Brazil, athlete, coach and athletic director at the University of Detroit for 38 years, at age 57 in Detroit[44]
April 4 - Fred Norcross, quarterback for Michigan teams that were 33–1–1 and claimed national championships in 1903 and 1904, at age 80 in Ann Arbor, Michigan[45]
November 23 - Harlan Page, football, basketball, and baseball player and coach, one of basketball's first star players in the early 1900s, at age 78 in Watervliet, Michigan[46]
December 9 - Branch Rickey, Michigan baseball coach (1910-1913) who later integrated Major League Baseball, at age 83 in Columbia, Missouri[47]