On April 27, 1933, in celebration of the repeal of Prohibition, Michigan Gov. William A. Comstock approved a law permitting people to drink beer and wine starting at age 18.
According to the Michigan Historical Center, 18- to 20-year-olds were not allowed to drink any form of hard liquor during this time. The Legislature reconsidered the move four years later and raised the drinking age to 21.
The legal drinking age remained 21 until 1972, when it was once again lowered to 18. After Michigan began to suffer from higher incidents of alcohol-related traffic incidents among drivers ages 18 to 20, the state decided to change the legal drinking age back to 21 in 1978.
Andrea K. Farmer, This Week in Michigan History, Detroit Free Press, April 22, 2007, B.4