What happened in 1974
111 entries recorded for 1974, listed by date. That was 52 years ago.
1974 at a glance
- Years ago
- 52 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1970s
- Generation born
- Generation X
- Entries here
- 111
- Breakdown
- 105 historical events · 4 births · 2 deaths
January
- January 6
1973 oil crisis
In response to the 1973 oil crisis, the United States implements the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act, switching to permanent daylight saving time for a trial period.
- January 6
Mukachevo
Aeroflot Flight H-75 crashes near Mukachevo, killing 24.
- January 15
Dennis Rader
American serial killer Dennis Rader, also known as the "BTK killer", murdered his first four victims.
- January 20
Paracel Islands
China gains control over all the Paracel Islands after a military engagement between the naval forces of China and South Vietnam.
- January 26
Turkish Airlines Flight 301
Turkish Airlines Flight 301 crashed while taking off from İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport, killing 67 people.
- January 30
Pan Am Flight 806
Pan Am Flight 806 crashes near Pago Pago International Airport in American Samoa, killing 97.
February
- February 1
Joelma Building fire
A fire in the 25-story Joelma Building in São Paulo, Brazil kills 189 and injures 293.
- February 2
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-16 Fighting Falcon (pictured), the most numerous fixed-wing aircraft currently in military service, made its first flight.
- February 4
Symbionese Liberation Army
The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patty Hearst in Berkeley, California.
- February 4
M62 coach bombing
M62 coach bombing: The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) explodes a bomb on a bus carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel in Yorkshire, England. Nine soldiers and three civilians are killed.
- February 4
The Troubles
The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army bombed a motor coach carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel and their family members, killing twelve people.
- February 4
Patty Hearst
American newspaper heiress and socialite Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, which she later joined.
- February 7
Grenada
Grenada gains independence from the United Kingdom.
- February 8
Skylab 4
The crew of Skylab 4, the last mission to visit the American space station Skylab, returns to Earth after 84 days in space.
- February 12
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, is exiled from the Soviet Union.
- February 17
Bell UH-1 Iroquois
A U.S. Army soldier stole a Bell UH-1 helicopter (pictured) and landed it on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
- February 17
1974 White House helicopter incident
Robert K. Preston, a disgruntled U.S. Army private, buzzes the White House in a stolen helicopter.
- February 21
Suez Canal
The last Israeli soldiers leave the west bank of the Suez Canal pursuant to a truce with Egypt.
- February 22
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit begins in Lahore, Pakistan. Thirty-seven countries attend and twenty-two heads of state and government participate. It also recognizes Bangladesh.
- February 22
Samuel Byck
Samuel Byck attempted to hijack an aircraft at Baltimore/Washington International Airport with the intention of crashing it into the White House to assassinate U.S. president Richard Nixon, but he was stopped by police.
- February 28
February 1974 United Kingdom general election
The British election ended in a hung parliament after the Liberal Party, under Jeremy Thorpe, achieved their highest ever number of votes.
March
- March 1
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: Seven are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
- March 3
Turkish Airlines Flight 981
Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes at Ermenonville near Paris, France killing all 346 aboard.
- March 5
Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War: Israeli forces withdraw from the west bank of the Suez Canal.
- March 9
Mars 7
The Mars 7 Flyby bus releases the descent module too early, missing Mars.
- March 10
1974 Belgian general election
1974 Belgian general election: Elections are held in Belgium for all 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives, the Belgian Socialist Party taking the majority with 59.
- March 13
Sierra Pacific Airlines Flight 802
Sierra Pacific Airlines Flight 802 crashes into the White Mountains near Bishop, California, killing 36.
- March 15
Transvestism and Transsexualism in Modern Society
Transvestism and Transsexualism in Modern Society, the UK's first trans-rights conference, opened with an evening reception in Leeds.
- March 15
Sterling Airways Flight 901
Fifteen people are killed when Sterling Airways Flight 901, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, catches fire following a landing gear collapse at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran.
- March 18
Güzel İstanbul
Güzel İstanbul, a nude sculpture by Gürdal Duyar in Istanbul, is torn down in the middle of the night.
- March 26
Chamoli district
A group of peasant women in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, surrounded trees in order to prevent loggers from felling them, giving rise to the Chipko movement.
- March 29
Shaanxi
A group of farmers in the Chinese province of Shaanxi discovered a vast collection of terracotta statues (pictured) depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.
- March 29
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is discovered in Shaanxi province, China.
- March 29
NASA
NASA's Mariner 10 became the first space probe to make a flyby of Mercury.
April
- April 1
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 of England and Wales comes into effect.
- April 1
Mount Edgecumbe (Alaska)
A man ignited tires in the crater of Mount Edgecumbe, prompting a false eruption scare later revealed as an April Fools' hoax.
- April 3
1974 Super Outbreak
The Super Outbreak of 148 tornadoes began, killing at least 315 people and injuring 5,484 in 13 US states at the end of a very strong La Niña event.
- April 5
Carrie (novel)
Carrie (pictured), the first novel by American author Stephen King, was published.
- April 6
Brighton
In Brighton, United Kingdom, ABBA wins the 1974 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo", the first of a joint-record seven Swedish wins.
- April 6
California Jam
The first California Jam festival takes place at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. Co-headlined by Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The festival set what were then records for the loudest amplification system ever installed, the highest paid attendance, an
- April 6
ABBA
ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Sweden with the song "Waterloo".
- April 8
Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron passes Babe Ruth as the all-time leader in career home runs by hitting his 715th home run off of Al Downing at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
- April 18
Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright, English filmmaker
- April 18
Marcel Pagnol
Marcel Pagnol, French author, playwright, and director (born 1895)
- April 20
Randy Fine
Randy Fine, American politician and former gambling industry executive
- April 22
Pan Am Flight 812
Pan Am Flight 812 crashes on approach to Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, killing all 107 people on board.
- April 25
Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution: A leftist military coup in Portugal overthrows the authoritarian-conservative Estado Novo regime.
- April 29
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: United States President Richard Nixon announces the release of edited transcripts of White House tape recordings relating to the scandal.
May
- May 1
Juan Perón
Argentine president Juan Perón expelled Montoneros from a demonstration in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, forcing the group to become a clandestine organization.
- May 4
Manaslu
An all-female Japanese team reached the summit of Manaslu in the Himalayas, becoming the first women to climb a peak higher than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) above sea level.
- May 9
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: The United States House Committee on the Judiciary opens formal and public impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon.
- May 15
Ma'alot massacre
Ma'alot massacre: Members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attack and take hostages at an Israeli school; a total of 31 people are killed, including 22 schoolchildren.
- May 16
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito is elected president for life of Yugoslavia.
- May 17
The Troubles
The Troubles: The Ulster Volunteer Force detonated a series of car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan, Ireland, killing 34 people and injuring almost 300 others.
- May 18
Nuclear weapons testing
Nuclear weapons testing: Under project Smiling Buddha, India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon becoming the sixth nation to do so.
- May 18
Smiling Buddha
India conducted its first nuclear test explosion at Pokhran, the first confirmed nuclear test by a nation outside the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
- May 23
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300, the first twin-engined wide-body airliner, went into service with Air France.
- May 29
Seta (organization)
SETA, a Finnish LGBT rights organisation, is founded in Helsinki.
- May 30
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 passenger aircraft first enters service.
June
- June 1
Henry Heimlich
In an informal article in a medical journal, Henry Heimlich introduced the concept of abdominal thrusts, commonly known as the Heimlich maneuver, to treat victims of choking.
- June 4
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians hosted Ten-Cent Beer Night, but had to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers due to rioting by drunken fans.
- June 7
Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls, English adventurer, author, and television host
- June 8
Lauren Burns
Lauren Burns, Australian taekwondo practitioner
- June 26
Universal Product Code
The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.
- June 27
President of the United States
U.S. president Richard Nixon visits the Soviet Union.
- June 29
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov defects from the Soviet Union to Canada while on tour with the Kirov Ballet.
- June 29
Isabel Perón
Vice President Isabel Perón assumes powers and duties as Acting President of Argentina, while her husband President Juan Perón is terminally ill.
- June 30
1974 Baltimore municipal strike
The Baltimore municipal strike of 1974 begins.
- June 30
Baltimore
Municipal workers in Baltimore, Maryland, went on strike seeking higher wages and better conditions.
July
- July 7
Germany national football team
West Germany won the FIFA World Cup final against the Netherlands at the Munich Olympiastadion.
- July 14
Carl Spaatz
Carl Spaatz, American World War II general; commander of the Strategic Air Forces in Europe (born 1891)
- July 15
Nicosia
In Nicosia, Cyprus, Greek junta-sponsored nationalists launch a coup d'état, deposing Makarios III and installing Nikos Sampson as the president of Cyprus.
- July 24
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: The United States Supreme Court unanimously rules that President Richard Nixon does not have the authority to withhold subpoenaed White House tapes and they order him to surrender the tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor.
- July 24
Metapolitefsi
The Metapolitefsi period began with Konstantinos Karamanlis (pictured) taking office as Prime Minister of Greece after the collapse of the military junta.
- July 26
Prime Minister of Greece
Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis forms the country's first civil government after seven years of military rule.
- July 27
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee votes 27 to 11 to recommend the first article of impeachment (for obstruction of justice) against President Richard Nixon.
- July 28
Alpha Group
Spetsgruppa A, Russia's elite special force, was formed.
- July 30
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: U.S. President Richard Nixon releases subpoenaed White House recordings after being ordered to do so by the Supreme Court of the United States.
August
- August 1
Cyprus problem
Cyprus dispute: The United Nations Security Council authorizes the UNFICYP to create the "Green Line", dividing Cyprus into two zones.
- August 4
Italicus Express bombing
A bomb explodes in the Italicus Express train at San Benedetto Val di Sambro, Italy, killing 12 people and wounding 22.
- August 5
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: President Richard Nixon, under orders of the US Supreme Court, releases the "Smoking Gun" tape, recorded on June 23, 1972, clearly revealing his actions in covering up and interfering investigations into the break-in. His political support vanishes completely.
- August 7
Philippe Petit
Philippe Petit performs a high wire act between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center 1,368 feet (417 m) in the air.
- August 9
Watergate scandal
As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first president of the United States to resign from office. Vice President Gerald Ford becomes president.
- August 9
Impeachment process against Richard Nixon
On the verge of an impeachment and removal from office amid the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon became the first president of the United States to resign.
- August 14
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Turkey launches the second phase of the invasion of Cyprus, which eventually resulted in the Turkish occupation of 37% of Cyprus.
- August 30
Gastarbeiter
An express train carrying foreign workers from Yugoslavia to West Germany derailed in Zagreb, killing 153 people.
- August 30
1974 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries bombing
A bomb exploded at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries headquarters in Marunouchi, Tokyo, killing eight people.
- August 30
Belgrade
A Belgrade–Dortmund express train derails at the main train station in Zagreb killing 153 passengers.
- August 30
World Population Conference
The Third World Population Conference ends in Bucharest, Romania. At the end of the ceremony, the UN-Romanian Demographic Centre is inaugurated.
September
- September 1
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
The SR-71 Blackbird sets (and holds) the record for flying from New York to London in the time of one hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds at a speed of 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h).
- September 8
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: U.S. president Gerald Ford gave his recently resigned predecessor Richard Nixon a controversial full and unconditional pardon for any crimes he committed while in office.
- September 10
Guinea-Bissau
After centuries of Portuguese rule, the country of Guinea-Bissau was formally recognized as independent.
- September 15
Air Vietnam Flight 706
Air Vietnam Flight 706 is hijacked, then crashes while attempting to land with 75 on board.
- September 17
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Grenada and Guinea-Bissau join the United Nations.
- September 25
Frank Jobe
Dr. Frank Jobe performs first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery (better known as Tommy John surgery) on baseball player Tommy John.
October
- October 5
Provisional Irish Republican Army
Bombs planted by the PIRA in pubs in Guildford kill four British soldiers and one civilian.
- October 8
Franklin National Bank
Franklin National Bank collapses due to fraud and mismanagement; at the time it is the largest bank failure in the history of the United States.
- October 19
Niue Constitution Act
Niue becomes a self-governing colony of New Zealand.
November
- November 8
John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan
British peer Lord Lucan disappeared without a trace, a day after allegedly murdering Sandra Rivett, his children's nanny.
- November 13
Amityville murders
Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed six members of his family in Amityville, New York, events that later inspired the book The Amityville Horror and a subsequent media franchise.
- November 16
Arecibo message
The Arecibo message is broadcast from Puerto Rico.
- November 20
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice files its final anti-trust suit against AT&T Corporation. This suit later leads to the breakup of AT&T and its Bell System.
- November 20
Boeing 747
The first fatal crash of a Boeing 747 occurs when Lufthansa Flight 540 crashes while attempting to takeoff from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 59 out of the 157 people on board.
- November 21
Birmingham pub bombings
Bombs exploded in two pubs in central Birmingham, England, killing 21 people and leading to the imprisonment of six people who were later exonerated.
- November 24
Donald Johanson
Donald Johanson and Tom Gray discover the 40% complete Australopithecus afarensis skeleton, nicknamed "Lucy" (after The Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"), in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia's Afar Depression.
December
- December 1
Boeing 727
Two Boeing 727s, TWA Flight 514 and Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231, crashed in the eastern United States in unrelated circumstances, killing 95 people on board both aircraft.
- December 8
1974 Greek republic referendum
A plebiscite results in the abolition of monarchy in Greece.
- December 13
Vietnam War
In the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese forces launch their 1975 Spring Offensive (to 30 April 1975), which results in the final capitulation of South Vietnam.
- December 13
Malta
Malta becomes a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.
- December 19
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller is sworn in as Vice President of the United States under President Gerald Ford under the provisions of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- December 24
Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
Questions about 1974
What happened in 1974?
This site records 111 entries for 1974, including 1973 oil crisis on January 6. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1974?
52 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1974 turns 52 this year.
Which century is 1974 in?
1974 falls in the 20th century, in the 1970s.
Which generation was born in 1974?
Generation X (1965–1980). The latch-key generation; first to grow up with personal computers.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.