The paper was the subject of national press coverage in 1967, when it urged the legalization of marijuana, and again during the Gulf War in 1991, when it called for the reinstatement of the military draft.

An October 14, 1969 Daily article by Fred LaBour and John Gray, entitled "McCartney Dead; New Evidence Brought to Light", itemized various "clues", many of them of their own invention.

"[4][5] The first female editor-in-chief of The Daily was Harriett Woods, who later served in Missouri State government, ran for the Senate twice in the 1980s nearly beating John Danforth the first time, and led the National Women's Political Caucus through its Year of the Woman in 1992.

To dedicate the renovated building, a reunion of the staffs of The Michigan Daily, the Michiganensian yearbook, and the Gargoyle Humor Magazine was held from October 26 to 28, 2007.

On January 28, 2014, The Daily earned national recognition for breaking news that a Michigan football player had been separated from the university for sexual misconduct.

It is divided into the following sections: news, opinion, sports, arts, photography, web, copy, video, Statement, Michigan in Color, audience engagement, design, podcast, culture, training and inclusion, Focal Point and games.

[6] Alumni include playwright Arthur Miller,[7] 47th governor of New York and presidential candidate Thomas Dewey, activist Tom Hayden, investment banker Bruce Wasserstein,[6] journalist and physician Sanjay Gupta,[8] former chairman of American Airlines George A. Spater,[9] journalist and game show host Mike Wallace,[10] and former lieutenant governor of Missouri Harriett Woods.

[11][12] Notable journalists and writers include seven Pulitzer Prize winners: Eugene Robinson, Lisa Pollak, Ann Marie Lipinski,[13] Amy Harmon, Stanford Lipsey, and Arthur Miller.