Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
Events of 1974
January
February
- February 1 - Fire breaks out in the Joelman Bank Building in São Paulo, Brazil; 177 dead, 293 injured, 11 die later of their injuries. Article: Joelma Fire
- February 3 - In the second Bathurst Gaol riot, prisoners destroy much of the facility with petrol bombs.
- February 4 - The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patricia Hearst, the 19-year-old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst.
- February 8 - After 94 days in outer space, the crew of Skylab 4 returns to Earth.
- February 8 The self-titled debut album from KISS is released.
- February 12 - U.S. District Court Judge George Boldt rules that Native American tribes in Washington State are entitled to half of the legal salmon and steelhead catches, based on treaties signed by the tribes and the U.S. government.
- February 13 - Nobel Prize winning writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is expelled from the Soviet Union (he returns May 27, 1994).
- February 17 - A soccer stampede occurs in Cairo, killing 49.
- February 21 - The long-running comic strip "Sazae-san" is published in the Asahi Shimbun for the final time, after 28 years of daily installments.
- February 22 - The Second Islamic Summit Conference by Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) was held in Lahore, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, from 29 Moharram to 1st Safar, 1394 H, (22-24 February, 1974).
- February 23 - The Symbionese Liberation Army demands $4 million more to release kidnap victim Patty Hearst.
- February 28
March
April
- April 1 - The Local Government Act 1972 comes into effect in England and Wales, creating six new metropolitan counties and comprehensively redrawing the administrative map.
- April 2 - French President Georges Pompidou dies; Senate President Alain Poher becomes Acting President for the second time.
- April 3 - The Super Outbreak, the largest series of tornadoes in history, hits 13 U.S. states and one Canadian province. By the time the last of 149 tornadoes hit early the following morning, 315 die and over 5,000 are injured.
- April 6 - ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, England.
- April 8 - Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves breaks Babe Ruth's home run record by hitting his 715th career home-run off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
- April 10 - In Israel, Golda Meir resigns as Prime Minister.
- April 15 - In San Francisco, members of the Symbionese Liberation Army rob a branch of the Hibernia National Bank, joined by Patricia Hearst, their erstwhile captive.
- April 24 - Stephen King publishes his first novel, Carrie, under his own name.
- April 25 - Carnation Revolution: A coup in Portugal restores democracy.
May
June
- June 1 - Flixborough disaster: An explosion at a chemical plant in Flixborough, UK, kills 28 people.
- June 4 - The Cleveland Indians stage an ill-advised Ten Cent Beer Night for a game against the Texas Rangers at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Cleveland forfeits after alcohol-fueled mayhem and violence spreads from the stands onto the field.
- June 6 - A new Instrument of Government is promulgated, making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy.
- June 13 - The 1974 FIFA World Cup begins in West Germany.
- June 15 - Red Lion Square disorders: Members of the fascist National Front clash with leftist counter-protesters in London's West End; one student is killed.
- June 17 - A bomb explodes at the Houses of Parliament in London, damaging Westminster Hall. The Provisional Irish Republican Army claims responsibility for planting the bomb.
- June 26 - 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 29 - Isabel Peron becomes interim president of Argentina, when Juan Peron falls seriously ill.
- June 30 - Alberta Williams King, mother of the late Martin Luther King, Jr., is killed during a church service in Atlanta, Georgia.
July
August
September
October
November
- November 5 - Democrats make significant gains in the U.S. Congressional midterm elections, as voters punish the Republican Party over the Watergate scandal.
- November 7 - A Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb explodes at the Kings Arms, Woolwich.
- November 8
- November 10 - Movement 2 June members try to kidnap Günter von Drenkmann, the president of West Germany's Superior Court of Justice, at his home, but he is fatally shot during the attempt.
- November 13 - Ronald DeFeo, Jr. murders his parents and his four siblings in what would later become known as "The Amityville Horror House".
- November 16 - The Arecibo radio telescope sends an interstellar radio message towards the M13 Great Globular Cluster. The message will reach its destination around the year 27000.
- November 17 - In Dublin, Ireland, President Erskine H. Childers dies suddenly of a heart attack in the middle of a public speech.
- November 19 - 140 killed, Makahali River bridge collapsed, Baitadi, Makahali, Nepal.
- November 20 - The United States Department of Justice files its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. This suit later leads to the break up of AT&T and the Bell System.
- November 21 - In Birmingham, England, 2 pubs are bombed, killing 21 people (the Birmingham Six are later sentenced to life in prison for this).
- November 22 - The United Nations General Assembly grants the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status.
- November 24 - A skeleton from the hominid species Australopithecus afarensis is discovered and named Lucy.
- November 27 - The Prevention of Terrorism Act is passed in the United Kingdom.
December
Undated
Ongoing
Births
January-February
- January 3 - Alessandro Petacchi, Italian professional road cyclist
- January 7 - John Rich, American guitarist and bassist (Big & Rich)
- January 10 - Hrithik Roshan, Bollywood actor
- January 10 - Jemaine Clement, New Zealand Singer/Comedian/Actor
- January 11 - The Rosenkowitz sextuplets (Cape Town, South Africa), the first sextuplets known to survive their infancy.
- January 11 - Cody McKay, Canadian baseball player
- January 12 - Tor Arne Hetland, Norwegian cross-country skiier
- January 12 - Melanie Chisholm, English singer-songwriter
- January 16 - Kate Moss, English model
- January 17 - Ladan and Laleh Bijani, Iranian conjoined twins (d. 2003)
- January 21 - Rove McManus Australian talk show host
- January 24 - Tim Biakabutuka, former National Football League player
- January 23 - Tiffani Thiessen, American actress
- January 24 - Melissa Tkautz, Australian singer and actress
- January 27 - Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lankan cricketer
- January 28 - Tony Delk, National Basketball Association player
- January 30 - Christian Bale, Welsh actor
- January 31 - Ian Huntley, English murderer
- February 4 - Eric Townsend, American musician and record producer
- February 7 - Steve Nash, Canadian basketball player
- February 7 - J Dilla, also known as Jay-Dee, American hip-hop producer (d. 2006)
- February 8 - Seth Green, American actor
- February 8 - Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, French disc jockey
- February 10 - Ivri Lider, Israeli singer
- February 11 - D'Angelo, American singer
- February 12 - Naseem Hamed, British boxer
- February 13 - Robbie Williams, English singer
- February 14 - Philippe Léonard, Belgian footballer
- February 15 - Tomi Putaansuu, Finnish singer Lordi
- February 15 - Ugueth Urbina, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
- February 15 - Seattle Slew, American racehorse (d. 2002)
- February 15 - Alexander Wurz, Austrian Formula 1 driver
- February 22 - Chris Moyles, English disc jockey
- February 22 - James Blunt, English Singer
- February 24 - Chad Hugo, American musician and producer (The Neptunes)
March-April
- March 1 - Mark-Paul Gosselaar, American actor
- March 3 - Danny Masterson, American actor
- March 4 - Karol Kučera, Slovakian tennis player
- March 4 - Ariel Ortega, Argentine football player
- March 4 - Tommy Phelps, South Korean professional baseball player
- March 5 - Eva Mendes, American actress
- March 5 - Jens Jeremies, German footballer
- March 6 - Sebastian Siegel, British-American actor
- March 6 - Anthony Carelli, professional wrestler
- March 7 - Alberto Rabagliati, Italian singer and actor
- March 7 - Jenna Fischer, American actress
- March 8 - Fardeen Khan, Bollywood actor
- March 10 - Hugo Ferreira, American rock musician
- March 11 - Bobby Abreu, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
- March 11 - Russ Haas, American wrestler (d. 2001)
- March 13 - Danny Masterson, American actor
- March 14 - Jeppe Kofod, Danish politician
- March 15 - Percy Montgomery, South African rugby union player
- March 20 - Paula Garces, Colombian actress
- March 20 - Andrzej Pilipiuk, Polish writer
- March 20 - Carsten Ramelow, German footballer
- March 22 - Marcus Camby, American basketball player
- March 22 - Kidada Jones, American actress, model, fashion designer
- March 24 - Alyson Hannigan, American actress
- March 25 - Lark Voorhies, American actress
- March 25 - Tapani Mokko, Finnish artist
- March 31 - Angela Dotchin, New Zealand actress
- April 1 - Richard Christy, American musician and radio writer
- April 2 - Håkan Hellström, Swedish musician
- April 4 - Dave Mirra, American athlete
- April 9 - Jenna Jameson, American actress
- April 11 - Tricia Helfer, Canadian actress and model
- April 11 - Trot Nixon, baseball player
- April 12 - Belinda Emmett, Australian actress and singer (d. 2006)
- April 12 - Shelton, American actress
- April 14 - Da Brat, American rapper
- April 15 - Josh Todd, American musician and singer (Buckcherry)
- April 16 - Valarie Rae Miller, American actress
- April 17 - Victoria Beckham, English singer (Spice Girls)
- April 17 - Mikael Åkerfeldt, Swedish musician (Opeth)
- April 20 - Jonathan Roberts, American ballroom dancer (Dancing with the Stars)
- April 22 - Shavo Odadjian, Armenian-born bassist (System of a Down)
- April 22 - Diego Costa, Brazilian singer-songwriter
- April 23 - Kirill Seleznyov, Russian businessman
- April 27 - Johnny Devine, Canadian professional wrestler
- April 28 - Penélope Cruz, Spanish actress
- April 28 - Richel Hersisia, Dutch boxer
- April 28 - Vernon Kay, English presenter
May-June
- May 4 - Miguel Cairo, Venezuelan baseball player
- May 8 - Korey Stringer, American football player (d. 2001)
- May 11 - Billy Kidman, American professional wrestler
- May 13 - Tim McMahon, American singer Mouthpiece
- May 16 - Laura Pausini, Italian singer
- May 16 - Sonny Sandoval, American singer for Payable on Death, aka. P.O.D.
- May 17 - Andrea Corr, Irish singer (The Corrs)
- May 19 - Andrew Johns, Australian rugby league player
- May 21 - Havoc, American rapper (Mobb Deep)
- May 21 - Eduardo Verástegui, Mexican actor.
- May 23 - Ken Jennings, American game show winner
- May 23 - Jewel, American singer
- May 23 - Monica Naranjo, Spanish singer
- May 23 - Charlie Yeung, Hong Kong actress and singer
- May 24 - Daniel Lorenz Johnson, social activist/artist
- May 26 - Lars Frölander, Swedish swimmer
- May 27 - Danny Wuerffel, American football player
- May 30 - Big L, American rapper (d. 1999)
- May 31 - Adrian Tomine, American cartoonist
- June 1 - Alanis Morissette, Canadian singer
- June 2 - Gata Kamsky, American chess player
- June 2 - Matt Serra, American mixed martial arts fighter
- June 7 - Mahesh Bhupathi, Indian tennis player
- June 7 - Edward Bear Grylls, survivalist
- June 12 - Hideki Matsui, Japanese baseball player
- June 13 - Steve-O, American actor
- June 14 - Jang Jin-young, South Korean actress
- June 16 - Paul Lee, British sculptural artist
- June 21 - Natasha Desborough, British radio personality
- June 22 - Donald Faison, American actor
- June 22 - Joseph Vijay, Indian actor
- June 25 - Karisma Kapoor, Indian actress
- June 26 - Derek Jeter, American baseball player
- June 26 - Matt Striker, American professional wrestler
- June 26 - Jeff Frankenstein, American musician (Newsboys)
- June 26 - Jason Kendall, American baseball player
- June 26 - Nicole Saba, Lebanese singer
- June 28 - Rob Dyrdek, pro skateboader
- June 30 - Melanie Lambert, American ice skater
July-August
- July 2 - Matthew Reilly, Australian writer
- July 2 - Rocky Gray, American musician
- July 4 - La'Roi Glover, National Football League defensive lineman
- July 4 - Gackt, Japanese singer
- July 8 - Allen Skillicorn, American race car driver
- July 8 - Dragoslav Jevrić, Montenegrin footballer
- July 12 - Gregory Helms, American professional wrestler
- July 18 - Alan Morrison, British poet
- July 19 - Malcolm O'Kelly, Irish rugby player
- July 19 - Preston Wilson, Major League Baseball player
- July 22 - Daddy Kev, American record producer
- July 22 - Sonija Kwok, Hong Kong actress
- July 23 - Maurice Greene, American athlete
- July 23 - Rik Verbrugghe, Belgian professional road racing cyclist
- July 26 - Daniel Negreanu, Canadian poker player
- July 27 - Eason Chan, Hong Kong singer
- July 28 -
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