The 2008 financial crisis really hurt Detroit, but the city has been crumbling over the last six decades.
The 1960s: The Riots
• Since 1950, the city's population has declined in every census.
• Following a police raid on a bar, the deadly Detroit riots occur July 23–27, 1967. The Michigan National Guard is sent in by the governor, and the president sends in army troops. Over 2,500 stores are harmed or completely destroyed, almost 400 families lose their homes, and more than 400 buildings are beyond repair. The losses from the riots add up to an estimated $40 million to $80 million in repairs. 43 people are dead.
• People begin leaving downtown for neighboring suburbs and take their businesses with them.
Via: Three Lions / Getty Images
The 1970s: Arson Capital
• After the riots, crime continues to rise. Detroit becomes the arson capital of America. For a number of years, the city has the highest murder rate in America.
Via: Jason Reed / Reuters
The 1980s: Population Continues to Plummet
• The trend of declining population that began in the '50s accelerates.
• Gangs and drugs spread throughout the city. Some of the most notorious gangs are the Young Boys and the Chambers Brothers.
Via: Paul Sancya / AP
The 1990s: Violent Crime, Abandoned Buildings
• From 1990 to 2010, crime rates in Detroit have had a ratio of about 2,700 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
• Buildings are simply abandoned, and then whole lots, followed by entire streets in the dark. These areas become prime locations for arson, fires, and theft.
Via: Rebecca Cook / Reuters
