This page offers an insight into life in 1974 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1974.
The year 1974 began on a Tuesday and was not a leap year
1974 In The News
29th March – The Terracotta army was discovered in Xian, China.
6th April – Swedish group ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Waterloo’.
25th April – The Carnation Revolution ended the dictatorship of Estado Novo in Portugal.
8th August – The Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Nixon.
12th September – Civil War began in Ethiopia after the overthrow of Haile Selassie.
Life in 1974 – Prices
Average house:
UK – £9,942; USA – $34,500
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.35; USA – $0.42
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.14; USA – $0.36
Gold per ounce:
UK – $154, USA – $145
Life in 1974 – Population
World: – 4,017,944,027
Australia: – 13,599,100
Canada: – 22,874,700
China: – 901,318,080
India: – 605,765,312
Soviet Union: 133,378,672
United States: – 213,342,000
United Kingdom: – 56,224,000
Life in 1974 – Music
Best Selling Single:
UK – Tiger Feet – Mud
USA – The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand
AUS – My Coo Ca Choo – Alvin Stardust
CAN – Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks
Best Selling Album:
UK – The Singles 1969 – 1973 – The Carpenters
USA – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
AUS – Band on the Run – Paul McCartney and Wings
CAN – Band on the Run – Paul McCartney and Wings
Popular Artists:
ABBA, Barry White, The Carpenters, David Essex, Elton John, Eric Clapton, John Denver, Queen, The Stylistics, Three Degrees, Wings
On the Bookshelves
Books Published in 1974:
Carrie – Stephen King
Jaws – Peter Benchley
Alive The Story of the Andes Survivors – Piers Paul Read
All the Presidents Men – Carl Bernstein
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – George Smiley
At the Movies
1974 Top Movies (USA box office figures):
1. The Towering Inferno – $50 million
2. Blazing Saddles – $45.2 million
3. Young Frankenstein – $38.4 million
4. Earthquake – $36.3 million
5. The Trial of Billy Jack – $31.1 million
Life in 1974 – World Leaders
Australia Prime Minister – Gough Whitlam
Canada Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau
China President – Dong Biwu
India Prime Minister – Indira Gandhi
Soviet Union Leader – Leonid Brezhnev
United States President – Richard Nixon to 9th Aug; Gerald Ford after 9th Aug
United Kingdom Prime Minister – Edward Heath to 4th March; Harold Wilson after 4th March
Born in 1974
16th January – Kate Moss (Model)
13th February – Robbie Williams (Singer)
28th April – Penelope Cruz (Actress)
9th August – Derek Fisher (Basketball Player)
19th September – Jimmy Fallon (TV Personality)
11th November – Leonardo di Caprio (Actor)
Died in 1974
31st January – Samuel Goldwyn (Movie Mogul)
2nd April – Georges Pompidou (French President)
24th May – Duke Ellington (Musician)
4th July – Georgette Heyer (Author)
9th July – Earl Warren (US Politician)
26th August – Charles Lindbergh (Aviator)
9th October – Oskar Schindler – (Humanitarian)
1974 Sport Highlights
Football – Germany won the World Cup
US Football – Miami Dolphins won the Superbowl
Cycling – Eddie Merckx (BEL) won the Tour de France
Tennis – Jimmy Connors won the Australian Open and the US Open
Baseball – Oakland Athletics won the World Series
Golf – Hale Irwin won the US Open and Tom Gary Player won the British Open
Horse Racing – Captain Cristy won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Cannonade won the Kentucky Derby
Christmas Wishlist
Twister
Spirograph
Magic 8 Ball
Lego Family Set
Dungeons & Dragons
Risk
What Was New?
Post it Note invented
Liposuction invented
Portable TV invented
Blender invented
Bar Code first used
Rubik’s Cube invented
Published Oct 20 2022 @ 08.49 – Updated –
