What happened in December 1973?
The top front-page story of each day in December 1973, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Dec 1🌕 Rare Moon Graze – A rare lunar graze will occur at 5:28 PM, allowing viewers to see the moon pass in front of a star from specific locations in New Jersey and Long Island.
- Dec 2🌌 Comet of Century – The comet Kohoutek, traveling at over 100,000 mph, is expected to be visible from Earth, potentially marking a significant astronomical event.
- Dec 3🔬 Jupiter Rendezvous Tonight – Pioneer 10 spacecraft approaches Jupiter after traveling faster and farther than any previous manmade object.
- Dec 4🚀 Pioneer 10 Passes Jupiter – Pioneer 10 spacecraft made history by flying within 81,000 miles of Jupiter, marking the first close-up exploration of the largest planet.
- Dec 5🚀 Pioneer 10 Beyond Jupiter – Pioneer 10 spacecraft successfully cruised beyond Jupiter, continuing to send scientific data back to Earth.
- Dec 6🌍 Pioneer 10's Manager – Charles Frederick Hall reflects on the historic achievement of the Pioneer 10 spacecraft's journey to Jupiter.
- Dec 7🛢️ New Oil Field Found – A huge new oil field with potential output of 300,000 barrels daily was discovered in the North Sea off Scotland.
- Dec 8🏛️ U.S.-Soviet Hot Line Shift – The U.S. and Soviet Union are transferring the Washington-Moscow Hot Line to a network of space satellites to enhance communication.
- Dec 9🌍 Pope Rides in Carriage – Pope Paul VI was driven in an open carriage through Rome for his devotion to the Virgin Mary on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
- Dec 10🌍 Accord on Ulster – Britain, Ireland, and Northern Ireland leaders reached an agreement on proposals for the future of Ulster, marking a significant step in peace talks.
- Dec 11🌌 Ancient Nebula Found – Mariner 10 detected intense radiations from the Gum Nebula, marking a significant discovery in space exploration.
- Dec 12🏥 Health Care Funding Approved – Congress authorized $375 million over five years to test health maintenance organizations as a medical care system.
- Dec 13🏗️ Black-Owned Building Opens – $15-million building, largest black-owned office in the U.S., opens in Harlem with over 600 attendees including officials.
- Dec 14🇻🇪 Venezuela's New Chief – Carlos Andrés Pérez elected President of Venezuela, promising significant changes for the oil-producing nation.
- Dec 15🖼️ Picasso Collection Accepted – France accepted Picasso's art collection for the Louvre, freeing his heirs from inheritance taxes on the valuable works.
- Dec 16🏛️ Ancient Fresco Found – Greek archeologists rescue a 3,500-year-old fresco depicting nymphs from the volcanic wreckage of Thera.
- Dec 17🔬 Explorer Satellite Launched – A satellite designed to study the thermosphere has been successfully placed in orbit, marking a significant scientific advancement.
- Dec 18✈️ Wright Brothers Day – The 70th anniversary of the first powered flight by the Wright brothers was celebrated at the Wright Memorial in North Carolina.
- Dec 19🚀 Soyuz 13 Launch – The Soviet Union launched Soyuz 13 into Earth orbit, marking its second manned space mission in three months.
- Dec 20🔬 Energy Agency Established – The U.S. House voted to consolidate energy research and development programs under a single agency, the Energy Research and Development Administration.
- Dec 21🚀 Protein Grown in Space – Soviet crew aboard Soyuz 13 harvests first nutritive protein mass grown in space, marking a milestone in space agriculture.
- Dec 22🌾 Larger Wheat Harvest – Winter wheat farmers are expected to harvest a 19% larger crop in 1974, driven by record high prices this year.
- Dec 23🏇 Secretariat: Horse of the Year – Secretariat is named Horse of the Year, becoming a sports idol despite being beaten three times in 12 starts.
- Dec 24🌍 Oil Prices Double – Tehran announced a significant increase in Persian Gulf crude oil prices, effective January 1, impacting global oil markets.
- Dec 25🛳️ Ferry Capsizes in Ecuador – A ferry capsized off Ecuador, carrying about 300 people, resulting in over 100 deaths, marking a tragic maritime disaster.
- Dec 26🎓 China's Universities Graduate – China's universities begin graduating students from a new higher education system, evolving from the Cultural Revolution's impact.
- Dec 27🚀 Soyuz 13 Returns Safely – The Soviet Union successfully brought back its Soyuz 13 spacecraft after an eight-day mission, demonstrating readiness for joint space flights with the U.S.
- Dec 28🔬 Sperm Screening Technique – A new lab technique for screening human semen may significantly increase the chances of couples having a boy.
- Dec 29🔬 Solar Power System Patented – A system for producing electricity using satellite solar power stations was patented, aiming to address the earth's energy shortage.
- Dec 30🚀 Astronauts Photograph Comet – Two Skylab 3 astronauts conducted a spacewalk to capture images of Comet Kohoutek, enhancing scientific understanding of the celestial phenomenon.
- Dec 31🏗️ Peru Nationalizes Mining – Peru will take over the American-owned Cerro de Pasco mining corporation today under a government decree.
Happy Birthday! 1973 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1973 in real headlines. See the 1973 book →
Born in December? Pick the day
Every birthday in December has its own On This Day in Headlines book: