2009 in Michigan List of events
This article reviews key circumstances during 2009 in Michigan , including the state's office holders, performance of sports teams, cultural events, a chronology of the state's top news and sports stories, and Michigan-related deaths.
Chronology of events
November
November 3 - In the 2009 Detroit mayoral election , Dave Bing received 56.2% of the votes to defeat Tom Barrow with 40.7%.
November 16 - Murder of Jamar Pinkney Jr. : Jamar Pinkney Sr. murdered his 15-year-old son, Jamar Pinkney Jr. in an execution-style shooting in Detroit. Pinkney Sr. said that Pinkney Jr. had admitted to sexually assaulting his thre-year old half-sister before he assaulted him, forced him to take off his clothes, marched him down the street while naked to a vacant lot, forced him to kneel and shot him in the head. December
December 25 - Al-Qaeda member Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to down Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as it approached to Detroit from. He sought to detonated chemical explosives sewn into his underwear. While a small explosion and fire occurred, the exposive device failed to detonate properly. He was arraigned on January 8. Deaths
January 6 - Ron Asheton , formed the Stooges with Iggy Pop , at age 60
February 17 - Brad Van Pelt , Michigan State linebacker (1970–72), Maxwell Award (1972), at age 57
March 6 - Colleen Howe , sports agent and wife of Gordie Howe , at age 76
March 6 - Ed McMahon , The Tonight Show and Detroit native, at age 86
March 13 Bill Davidson , CEO of Guardian Industries, owner of Detrioit Pistons, at age 86
March 23 - George Kell , Baseball Hall of Fame third baseman (1943–57), Tigers broadcaster (1959–96), at age 86
March 31 - Sidney Fine , historian, at age 88
April 13 - Mark Fidrych , pitcher known as "The Bird", at age 53
May 9 - Chuck Daly , Detroit Pistons coach (1983–92), at age 78
May 28 - Terry Barr , UM and Detroit Lions halfback (1954–1965), at age 76
July 5 - Lou Creekmur , Detroit Lions tackle (1950–59), Hall of Fame, at age 82
July 6 - Robert McNamara , President of Ford, Secretary of Defense, at age 93
August 6 - John Hughes , filmmaker born in Lansing, raised in Grosse Pointe, at age 59
September 16 - Monte Clark , Detroit Lions coach (1978–84), at age 72
October 16 - Bob Davis , Congressman (1979–1993), at age 77
October 22 - Soupy Sales , comedian and TV host, local Detroit show (1953–60), at age 83
October 28 - Dave Barclay , 1947 NCAA golf champion while at U-M, at age 89
October 30 - Forest Evashevski , UM football player (1938–40), Iowa head coach (1952–60), at age 91
November 4 - Lyman Parks , mayor of Grand Rapids (1971–1976), at age 92
December 6 - Al Dorow , quarterback and coach, at age 80
December 14 - Erma Henderson , first African American woman on the Detroit City Council , at age 92
December 19 - Carl Pursell , US Congress (1977–1993), at age 76
December 28 - J. David Singer , political scientist, at age 84
December 29 - Dave Diles , sports broadcaster, journalist and author, at age 78 References
↑ "2009 Detroit Tigers Statistics" . Baseball-Reference.com . Sports Reference. Retrieved December 9, 2025 .↑ "2009 Michigan State Spartans Stats" . Sports Reference. Retrieved December 9, 2025 .↑ "2008-09 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats" . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference. Retrieved December 9, 2025 .↑ "2008-09 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics" . Hockey Reference.com . Sports Reference. Retrieved December 9, 2025 .↑ "Bomb suspect faces life" . Detroit Free Press . January 7, 2010. p. 1A – via Newspapers.com .↑ "All eyes on terror case" . Detroit Free Press . January 8, 2010. p. 1A – via Newspapers.com .↑ "After Bomb Attempt, Botched Responses" . Detroit Free Press . January 29, 2010. p. 1A – via Newspapers.com .↑ "Flight 253 case begins: Amid Frenzy, He Faces Accusers" . Detroit Free Press . January 9, 2010. p. 1A – via Newspapers.com .↑ Coleman, Ken (December 14, 2021). "On this day in 2009: Detroit's first African-American City Council president dies" . Michigan Advance . Retrieved June 28, 2026 .
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