What happened in December 1974?
The top front-page story of each day in December 1974, 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🕌 Israel Offers Discounts – In response to currency devaluation, Israel is promoting home sales to foreigners to boost hard currency reserves.
- Dec 2✈️ Jetliner Crash Kills 92 – A Trans World Airlines 727 crashed in Virginia, killing all 92 aboard, marking the worst air disaster in the U.S. for 1974.
- Dec 3🪐 Pioneer Photographs Jupiter – Pioneer 10 transmitted the first images of Jupiter's south polar region before heading towards Saturn.
- Dec 4🚀 Pioneer Leaves Jupiter – Pioneer 11 made close observations of Jupiter and is now heading towards Saturn for further exploration.
- Dec 5🚀 Soviet Astronauts Dock – Two Soviet astronauts completed docking tests aboard Soyuz 16, preparing for a full-scale rehearsal of a future Soviet-American space rendezvous.
- Dec 6🏗️ Teheran Airport Collapse – Teheran's airport terminal roof caved in, resulting in 34 confirmed deaths, with many more potentially trapped in the rubble.
- Dec 7📷 Bicentennial Photo Match – New Jersey's Bicentennial Commission announces a statewide photo competition for professionals and amateurs.
- Dec 8👶 New Birth Method – Frederick Leboyer introduces a controversial childbirth method emphasizing gentle delivery, claiming benefits for newborns and mothers.
- Dec 9🚀 Pioneer 11's Journey – Pioneer 11 successfully navigated Jupiter's radiation belts, sending back vital data about the solar system.
- Dec 10🗽 Mother Seton Canonization – Pope Paul VI took final steps for the announcement of Blessed Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton as the first American-born saint.
- Dec 11🚀 West German Satellite Launched – The U.S. and West Germany successfully launched an 815-pound satellite into an elliptical orbit around the sun to study the earth-sun relationship.
- Dec 12🌒 Partial Solar Eclipse – A partial eclipse of the sun will be visible across the United States, including New York, tomorrow.
- Dec 13🔬 New Battery for Pacemakers – Scientists have developed a tiny enzyme battery that could triple the lifespan of heart pacemakers and expand their applications.
- Dec 14🏛️ Portugal Receives U.S. Aid – The U.S. announced an economic aid program for Portugal, marking a significant policy shift to support its new government.
- Dec 15🌍 Gold Ownership Legalized – The U.S. prepares for the end of the gold ownership ban, raising concerns about its economic impact as many Americans remain uninterested in investing.
- Dec 16🏛️ U.N. Disarmament Resolutions – The U.N. General Assembly approved a record 21 disarmament resolutions, highlighting global efforts for peace and security.
- Dec 17✈️ Seoul Airliner Incident – A woman was killed and 24 injured in Seoul when South Korean gunners mistakenly fired on a Korean Air Lines jet approaching the airport.
- Dec 18🚀 Satellite Launch Today – A Symphonie communications satellite for France and West Germany is scheduled to launch at Cape Canaveral after a delay.
- Dec 19🌍 Cape Verde Independence – Portugal will grant independence to the Cape Verde Islands on July 5, 1975, as announced by Minister António de Almeida Santos.
- Dec 20🚀 Russians Launch Satellite – The Soviet Union launched Cosmos 698, an unmanned satellite, to continue exploring outer space, with an orbit of 320 to 352 miles from Earth.
- Dec 21🔬 Cuba Normalizes Relations – Cuba and the Vatican officially normalized relations, with the Vatican's charge d'affaires presenting credentials to Cuba's Foreign Minister.
- Dec 22🎉 Ethiopia's Rural Development – Ethiopia launches a major rural development campaign with a parade of 20,000 uniformed students, marking a new socialist initiative.
- Dec 23🖼️ Unofficial Art Show – More than 1,000 young people attended a four-day exhibition of nonorthodox art in Leningrad, the first such event since the 1920s.
- Dec 24🗺️ Comoro Islands Independence – The Comoro Islands voted overwhelmingly for independence from France, marking a significant step towards self-governance.
- Dec 25🌊 Cyclone Strikes Australia – A cyclone hit Darwin, Australia, killing at least seven and injuring many, with winds reaching up to 125 mph.
- Dec 26🌪️ Australia Airlifts Cyclone Victims – An airlift to evacuate at least 10,000 people from cyclone-hit Darwin began today, responding to the devastation.
- Dec 27🚀 Soviet Research Station Launched – The Soviet Union launched a new orbital research station, indicating plans for future space linkups.
- Dec 28🔬 New Cancer Detection Method – A Massachusetts chemist developed a process for automatic cancer testing from living specimens, potentially easing technician workloads.
- Dec 29🏛️ Surrealism Exhibited In Depth – The Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris showcases significant surrealist art, highlighting its historical importance and cultural impact.
- Dec 30🌍 Quake Destroys Pakistan Village – At least 300 feared dead in a severe earthquake that devastated a mountain village in northern Pakistan.
- Dec 31🔬 Proton Mating Confirmed – Experiments at Brookhaven National Laboratory suggest the existence of a short-lived substance formed by a proton and its antiproton.
Happy Birthday! 1974 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1974 in real headlines. See the 1974 book →
Born in December? Pick the day
Every birthday in December has its own On This Day in Headlines book: