1974 Fun Facts, History and Trivia
Quick Facts from 1974
- The Odd Movie Premiere: The world premiere of Blazing Saddles took place at the Pickwick Drive-In theater in Burbank, CA, where 200 guests watched the film on horseback.
- The Top Song was The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand
- Influential Songs include Rebel Rebel by David Bowie, Cat’s In The Cradle by Harry Chapin, Seasons In The Sun by Terry Jacks, Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, and Piano Man by Billy Joel.
- Political Pop Hit Recording: The Americans (A Canadian’s Opinion) by Gordon Sinclaire.
- The Movies to Watch include The Godfather Part II, Benji, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Earthquake.
- The Most Famous Person in America was probably Billie Jean King.
- Notable books include The Bermuda Triangle by Charles Berlitz, Jaws by Peter Benchley, and Carrie by Stephen King.
- In 1974, Mr. Rosendo Cruz had his nearly-new Ferrari Dino 246 GTS stolen. After that, it was buried by the thieves in a Los Angeles backyard. In 1978, the supercar was found by kids digging in the garden and then dug up by the LAPD. The car was restored afterward.
- Pepsi Cola six pack of 12 oz cans: 88 cents
Minimum Wage in 1974: $2.00 per hour - New York Telephone Company’s Dial-a-Joke Guy: Henny Youngman
- The Funny Late Night Host: Johnny Carson
The Funny Lady was Carol Burnett - Hello Kitty was introduced in Japan (1976 in the US).
- The Conversation: 1974’s The Unsuccessful Self-treatment of a Case of Writer’s Block by Dennis Upper is the shortest academic article ever. It has no words.
- Take our 1974 Quiz!
Top Ten Baby Names of 1974
Jennifer, Amy, Michelle, Heather, Angela, Michael, Jason, Chris, Topher, David, James
The Sex Symbols, Hotties and Fashion Icons
Adrienne Barbeau, Barbi Benton, Dyan Cannon, Veronica Carlson, Angie Dickinson, Britt Ekland, Pam Grier, Beverly Johnson, Caroline Munro, Diana Ross, Ann Simonton, Jane Seymour, Mary Woronov
Hollywood Hunks, Leading Men and Sex Symbols
Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds
“The Quotes”
“You won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore.”
– resigning President Richard Nixon
“And now for something completely different.”
– Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969 in the U.K., imported to the US via Public Television in 1974)
” Tastes great, less filling.”
– Miller Lite
“Dy-No-Mite”
J.J. Walker on Good Times
“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”
– Al Pacino, in ‘The Godfather Part II”
“Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.”
– Joe Mantell, in ‘Chinatown’
Time Magazine’s Man of the Year
King Faisal
Miss America
Rebecca King (Denver, CO)
Miss USA
Karen Morrison (Illinois)
The Scandals & Sad News
Rock Star Death: Mama Cass (obesity-related heart attack)
Patty Hearst, heiress to the Hearst Newspaper group, was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, later joining the group in a bank heist.
While David Niven was at the Oscars podium, live on national television, a streaker (Robert Opal) ran by. David quipped, “Isn’t it fascinating to think that the only laugh that man will ever get is for stripping and showing his shortcomings?”
Mikhail Baryshnikov defected to the USA, leaving the Soviet Union’s Bolshoi Ballet behind him.
1974 Pop Culture Facts & History
Arthur Fry invented the Post-it note. It became widely used and available in 1980.
21-year-old Michael Kittredge opened his Yankee Candle factory.
The first intentional interstellar radio message was sent from the Arecibo telescope towards M41, a cluster of stars some 25,000 light years away
Liposuction was invented by Giorgio Fischer in Rome, Italy.
After several decades of deciding how to do it, in June, the first U.P.C. scanner was installed at a Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio. The first product to have a bar code included was a packet of Wrigley’s Gum.
The national speed limit was lowered to 55 miles per hour.
Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 1974: $103,000
Doomsday Clock
Nine minutes to midnight, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
1974: “South Asia gets the Bomb, as India tests its first nuclear device. And any gains in previous arms control agreements seem like a mirage. The United States and Soviet Union appear to be modernizing their nuclear forces, not reducing them. Thanks to the deployment of multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV), both countries can now load their intercontinental ballistic missiles with more nuclear warheads than before.”
The Habits
CB Radio, Kung Fu Fighting, watching All In The Family on CBS, reading Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying
1st Appearances & 1974’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents: Connect Four, G.I. Joe with KUNG FU GRIP, Magna Doodle
Best Film Oscar Winner
The Sting (presented in 1974)
Popular and Best-selling Books From 1974
All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
The Bermuda Triangle by Charles Berlitz
Burr by Gore Vidal
Carrie by Stephen King
Centennial by James A. Michener
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth
The Fan Club by Irving Wallace
Jaws by Peter Benchley
I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven
The Pirate by Harold Robbins
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer
Something Happened by Joseph Heller
There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
1974 Most Popular TV Shows
1. All in the Family (CBS)
2. Sanford and Son (NBC)
3. Chico and the Man (NBC)
4. The Jeffersons (CBS)
5. M*A*S*H (CBS)
6. Rhoda (CBS)
7. Good Times (CBS)
8. The Waltons (CBS)
9. Maude (CBS)
10. Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
1974 Billboard Number One Songs
December 29, 1972 – January 11, 1974:
Time In A Bottle – Jim Croce
January 12 – January 18:
The Joker – Steve Miller Band
January 19 – January 25:
Show And Tell – Al Wilson
January 26 – February 1:
You’re Sixteen – Ringo Starr
February 2 – February 8:
The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand
February 9 – March 1:
Love’s Theme – Love Unlimited Orchestra
March 2 – March 22:
Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks
March 23 – March 29:
Dark Lady – Cher
March 30 – April 5:
Sunshine On My Shoulders – John Denver
April 6 – April 12:
Hooked On A Feeling – Blue Swede
April 13 – April 19:
Bennie And The Jets – Elton John
April 20 – May 3:
TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) – MFSB featuring The Three Degrees
May 4 – May 17:
The Loco-Motion – Grand Funk
May 18 – June 7:
The Streak – Ray Stevens
June 8 – June 14:
Band On The Run – Paul McCartney & Wings
June 15 – June 28:
Billy, Don’t Be A Hero – Paper Lace
June 29 – July 5:
Sundown – Gordon Lightfoot
July 6 – July 12:
Rock The Boat – The Hues Corporation
July 13 – July 26:
Rock Your Baby – George McCrae
July 27 – August 9:
Annie’s Song – John Denver
August 10 – August 16:
Feel Like Makin’ Love – Roberta Flack
August 17 – August 23:
The Night Chicago Died – Paper Lace
August 24 – September 13:
(You’re) Having My Baby – Paul Anka & Odia Coates
September 14 – September 20:
I Shot The Sheriff – Eric Clapton
September 21 – September 27:
Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe – Barry White
September 28 – October 4:
Rock Me Gently – Andy Kim
October 5 – October 18:
I Honestly Love You – Olivia Newton-John
October 19 – October 25:
Nothing From Nothing – Billy Preston
October 26 – November 1:
Then Came You – Dionne Warwick & The Spinners
November 2 – November 15:
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
November 16 – November 22:
Whatever Gets You Through the Night – John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
November 23 – December 6:
I Can Help – Billy Swan
December 7 – December 20:
Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas
December 21 – December 27:
Cat’s In The Cradle – Harry Chapin
December 28, 1974 – January 3, 1975:
Angie Baby – Helen Reddy
Sports
World Series Champions: Oakland Athletics
Super Bowl VIII Champions: Miami Dolphins
NBA Champions: Boston Celtics
Stanley Cup Champs: Philadelphia Flyers
U.S. Open Golf Hale Irwin
U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Jimmy Connors/Billie Jean King
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Jimmy Connors/Chris Evert
NCAA Football Champions: Oklahoma & USC
NCAA Basketball Champions: North Carolina State
Kentucky Derby: Cannonade
World Cup (Soccer): West Germany
More 1974 Facts & History Resources:
Most Popular Baby Names (BabyCenter.com)
Popular and Notable Books (popculture.us)
Broadway Shows that Opened in 1974X
1974 Calendar, courtesy of Time and Date.com
Fact Monster
10 Fascinating Facts About Watergate
1970s, Infoplease.com World History
1974 in Movies (according to IMDB)
Retrowaste Vintage Culture
Richard Nixon (Whitehouse.gov)
1970s Slang
Wikipedia 1974