1973 - Definition and Overview

1973 was a common year starting on Monday.

Events

January

• January 1 - United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, now known as the European Union.
• January 3 - Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) sells the New York Yankees for $10 million to a 12-person syndicate led by George Steinbrenner.
• January 15 - Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President of the United States Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
• January 17 - Ferdinand Marcos becomes President for Life of the Philippines.
• January 22 - Supreme Court of the United States rules on Roe v. Wade.
• January 22 - George Foreman breaks Joe Frazier's professional career undefeated heavyweight world boxing champion status.
• January 23 - Eruption in Heimaey begins.
• January 23 - President Richard Nixon announces that a peace accord has been reached in Vietnam.
• January 27 - U.S. involvement in Vietnam War ends with the signing of peace pacts. See Paris Peace Accords.

February

• February 11 - Vietnam War: First release of American prisoners of war from Vietnam takes place.
• February 12 - Ohio becomes the first U.S. state to post distance in metric on signs. (See: Metric system in the United States)
• February 14- Ottawa The Yukon Native Brotherhood presets "Together Today for our Children Tomorrow" a historic document that begins the land claims negotiation in the Yukon.
• February 21 - Over the Sinai Desert, Israeli fighter aircraft shoot down a Libyan Arab Airlines jet killing 100.
• February 22 - Sino-American relations: Following President Richard Nixon's visit to mainland China, the United States and the People's Republic of China agree to establish liaison offices.
• February 27 - The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

March

• March 1 - The New York Joffrey Ballet's Deuce Coupe Ballet opens. The ballet is set entirely around music by The Beach Boys.
• March 7 - Comet Kohoutek is discovered.
• March 8 - IRA bombs explode in the Whitehall and the Old Bailey.
• March 16 - Queen Elizabeth II opens the New London Bridge.
• March 29 - The last United States soldiers leave Vietnam.

April

• April 6 - Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft.

May

• May 5 - Shambu Tamang becomes the youngest person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.
• May 8 - A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and the American Indian Movement who were occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, ends with the surrender of the militants.
• May 10 ? Polisario formed.
• May 14 - Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched.
• May 17 - Watergate scandal: Hearings begin in the United States Senate and are televised.
• May 27 - According to the non-retroactive copyright laws of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, all works published before this date are public domain. This applies worldwide.

June

• June 1 - Greek military junta abolishes the monarchy and proclaims a republic.
• June 3 - Tupolev Tu-144 crashes at the Paris air show - 15 dead.
• June 4 - patent for the ATM granted to Don Wetzel, Tom Barnes and George Chastain.
• June 9 - Secretariat wins the Belmont Stakes becoming the first Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing winner since 1948.
• June 25 - Erskine Hamilton Childers is elected the fourth President of Ireland.
• June 30 - Very long total solar eclipse visible in NE South America, the Atlantic, and central Africa. During the entire Second Millennium, only seven total solar eclipses exceeded seven minutes of totality. This was the last. Observers aboard a Concorde jet were able to stretch totality to about 74 minutes by flying along the path of the moon's umbra.

July

• July 1 - US Drug Enforcement Agency founded.
• July 10 - The Bahamas gain full independence within the British Commonwealth.
• July 12 - A major fire destroys the entire 6th floor of the National Personnel Records Center. The disaster comes to be known as the 1973 National Archives Fire.
• July 16 - Watergate Scandal: Former White House aide Alexander Butterfield informs the United States Senate committee investigating the scandal that President Richard Nixon had secretly recorded potentially incriminating conversations.
• July 20 - France resumes nuclear bomb tests in Mururoa Atoll over protestations of Australia and New Zealand.
• July 25 - Soviet Mars 5 space probe launched.
• July 30 - An 11-year legal action for the victims of Thalidomide ends.

August

• August 2 - Flash fire kills 51 at the Summerland amusement centre at Douglas, Isle of Man.
• August 5 - Black September members open fire at Athens airport - 3 dead, 55 injured.
• August 13 - The film of Jesus Christ Superstar is released.
• August 15 - The U.S. bombing of Cambodia ends, marking the official halt to 12 years of combat activity in Southeast Asia.
• August 22 - Henry Kissinger, United States National Security Advisor, is named Secretary of State.

September

• September 11 - Chile's democratically elected government is overthrown in military coup after serious instability. President Salvador Allende dies, and General Augusto Pinochet heads a military junta that will govern Chile for the next 17 years.
• September 15 - Sweden's king Gustav VI Adolf dies. Carl XVI Gustav becomes king.
• September 18 - Chile's national day.
• September 18 - The two German Republics, the BRD and the DDR, are admitted to the United Nations.
• September 20 - Billed as The Battle of the Sexes, Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
• September 28 - ITT bombed in New York City to protest their involvement with the Coup in Chile.

October

• October 6 - Yom Kippur War - Fourth and largest Arab-Israeli conflict begins as Egyptian and Syrian forces attack Israel as Jews mark Yom Kippur.
• October 10 - Spiro T. Agnew resigns as vice president of the United States and then, in federal court in Baltimore, pleads no contest to charges of evasion of income taxes on $29,500 he received in 1967 while he was governor of Maryland. He is fined $10,000 and put on three years' probation.
• October 17 - A worldwide oil shortage, the 1973 energy crisis, followed an Arab Oil Embargo against several countries which gave support to Israel.
• October 20 - The Saturday Night Massacre.
• October 20 - Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II.
• October 26 - Yom Kippur War ends.

November

• November 1 - Watergate Scandal: Leon Jaworski is appointed as the new Watergate Special Prosecutor.
• November 3 - Mariner program: NASA launches the Mariner 10 toward Mercury (on March 29, 1974 it became the first space probe to reach that planet).
• November 7 - The U.S. Congress overrides President Richard M. Nixon's veto of the War Powers Resolution, which limits presidential power to wage war without congressional approval.
• November 11 - Egypt and Israel sign a United States-sponsored cease-fire accord.
• November 14 - In the United Kingdom, Princess Anne marries a commoner, Captain Mark Phillips, in Westminster Abbey (they divorced in 1992).
• November 16 - Skylab program: NASA launches Skylab 4 with a crew of three astronauts from Cape Canaveral, Florida for an 84-day mission.
• November 16 - US President Richard Nixon signs the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act into law, authorizing the construction of the Alaska Pipeline.
• November 17 - Watergate scandal: In Orlando, Florida, US President Richard Nixon tells 400 Associated Press managing editors "I am not a crook."
• November 17 - Student uprising against the military regime in Athens, Greece.
• November 25 - Greek Dictator George Papadopoulos is ousted in military coup led by Lieutenant General Phaidon Gizikis.
• November 27 - The United States Senate votes 92 to 3 to confirm Gerald Ford as Vice President of the United States (on December 6, the House confirmed him 387 to 35).

December

• December 1 - Papua New Guinea gains self government from Australia.
• December - Chile breaks diplomatic contacts with Sweden.
• December 3 - Pioneer program: Pioneer 10 sends back the first close-up images of Jupiter.
• December 15 - Gay rights: The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its DSM-II.
• December 20 - Singer, songwriter, Bobby Darin (birthname Robert Casotto)dies of heart complications.
• December 23 - The OPEC doubles the price of crude oil.
• December 30 ? Carlos the Jackal fails in his attempt to assassinate British businessman Joseph Sieff ? his first action.

Undated

• The National House Building Council was formed in the United Kingdom.
• The COSC The Swiss Official Chronometer testing Institute was founded in Switzerland by 5 Watch Cantons & FH, Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.
• Donald Goines (1937 - 1973).

Year in topic

• 1973 in art
• 1973 in film
  • The Sting
  • American Graffiti directed by George Lucas, starring Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ron Howard
  • The Exorcist
• 1973 in literature
• 1973 in music
• 1973 in sports
• 1973 in television
  • January 6 - Schoolhouse Rock! premieres
  • January 14 - Worldwide 1.5 billion people from about 40 countries watch "Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii" many of them live via satellite.
  • The Six Million Dollar Man debuts
  • Large-screen projection color TVs hit the market

Births

January

• January 8 - Sean Paul, Jamaican reggae singer
• January 11 - Rahul Dravid, cricketer, India
• January 13 - Nikolai Khabibulin, Russian NHL goalie
• January 19 - Drea de Matteo, actress
• January 29 - Jason Schmidt, Major League Baseball All-Star

February

• February 4 - Oscar De La Hoya, boxing champion
• February 11 - Varg Vikernes, Norwegian artist, founder of the music band Burzum.
• February 14 - Steve McNair, American football quarterback
• February 16 - Cathy Freeman, Australian athlete
• February 21 - João Carlos Donário, Portuguese Motorcycling champion
• February 24 - Jordan Jovtchev, Bulgarian gymnast
• February 26 - Marshall Faulk, American football player
• February 26 - Jenny Thompson, U.S. Olympic swimmer
• February 28 - Eric Lindros, ice hockey player

March

• March 1 - Ryan Peake, guitarist with the band Nickelback
• March 9 - Aaron Boone, Major League Baseball All-Star
• March 17 - Caroline Corr, singer, musician ("The Corrs")
• March 23 - Jason Kidd, basketball star

April

• April 4 - David Blaine, illusionist
• April 5 - Pharrell Williams, musician and producer (The Neptunes)
• April 24 - Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricketer

May

• May 1 - Oliver Neuville, German international footballer
• May 10 - Dario Franchitti, automobile racer
• May 16 - Tori Spelling, actress

June

• June 1 - Heidi Klum, German supermodel
• June 1 - Derek Lowe, baseball pitcher
• June 8 - Lexa Doig, Canadian actress (Andromeda)
• June 10 - Faith Evans, R&B singer
• June 13 - Sam Adams, American football player
• June 22 - Carson Daly, talk show host, VJ
• June 26 - Gretchen Wilson, country music singer
• June 28 - Adrian Annus, hammer thrower
• June 30 - Chan Ho Park, Korean baseball pitcher

July

• July 9 - Kelly Holcomb, American football quarterback
• July 11 - Konstantinos Kenteris, Greek athlete
• July 17 - Eric Moulds, American football player
• July 20 - Peter Forsberg, Swedish NHL player
• July 20 - Haakon Magnus, Crown Prince of Norway
• July 23 - Nomar Garciaparra, baseball star
• July 23 - Monica Lewinsky, former White House intern
• July 26 - Kate Beckinsale, actress

August

• August 1 - Tempestt Bledsoe, actress
• August 6 - Asia Carrera, erotic actress
• August 8 - Scott Stapp, Creed lead singer
• August 12 - Richard Reid, alleged Al-Qaida operative; "the shoe bomber"
• August 19 - Mette-Marit Tjessem-Høiby, crown princess of Norway
• August 20 - Todd Helton, baseball player

September

• September 12 - Darren Campbell, British athlete
• September 19 - José Azevedo, Portuguese cyclist

October

• October 3 - Neve Campbell, actress
• October 10 - Mario López, actor
• October 22 - Ichiro Suzuki, Japanese baseball star, American League MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001
• October 29 - Gabrielle Union, actress

November

• November 5 - Johnny Damon, baseball player
• November 12 - Martin M. Weiss, author
• November 14 - Lawyer Milloy, American football player
• November 29 - Ryan Giggs, Welsh international footballer

December

• December 2 - Monica Seles, tennis champion
• December 7 - Terrell Owens, American football star
• December 15 - Surya Bonaly, figure skater
• December 30 - Ato Boldon, Trinidad and Tobago athlete

Deaths

January

• January 22 - Lyndon Johnson, President of the United States
• January 23 - Kid Ory, musician
• January 24 - J. Carrol Naish, actor
• January 26 - Edward G. Robinson, actor

February

• February 11 - Hans D Jensen, German physicist.
• February 15 - Wally Cox, actor
• February 19 - Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian violinist (b. 1892)

March

• March 6 - Pearl S. Buck, novelist
• March 10 - Eugene 'Bull' Connor, segregationist
• March 8 - Ron Pigpen McKernan of the Grateful Dead
• March 14 - Rafael Godoy, Colombian composer (b. 1907)
• March 14 - Chic Young, cartoonist (Blondie)
• March 26 - Noel Coward, composer, playwright

April

• April 8 - Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist from Malaga (Andalucia region)
• April 16 - Istvan Kertesz, Hungarian conductor (b. 1929)
• April 19 - Hans Kelsen, Austrian-American legal theorist
• April 21 - Arthur Fadden, thirteenth Prime Minister of Australia
• April 26 - Irene Ryan, actress

May

• May 11 - Lex Barker, actor
• May 18 - Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to the United States House of Representatives

June

• June 18 - Roger Delgado, actor (b. 1918)

July

• July 6 - Otto Klemperer, conductor
• July 20 - Bruce Lee, Chinese-American martial artist and film star

August

• August 1 - Gian Francesco Malipiero, composer
• August 17 - Jean Barraqué, composer

September

• September 2 - J. R. R. Tolkien, writer
• September 11 - Salvador Allende, Chilean president
• September 19 - Gram Parsons, musician
• September 23 - Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet
• September 29 - W. H. Auden, English poet

October

• October 2 - Paavo Nurmi, Finnish runner
• October 17 - Ingeborg Bachmann, lyricist, narrator and writer (b. 1926)
• October 22 - Pablo Casals, Catalan virtuoso cellist and conductor

November

• November 27 - Frank Christian, jazz musician (b. 1887)

December

• December 1 - David Ben-Gurion, former Prime Minister of Israel
• December 3 - Emile Christian, jazz musician (b. 1895)
• December 20 - Bobby Darin, singer
• December 26 - Harold B. Lee, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1899)

Nobel Prizes

• Physics - Leo Esaki, Ivar Giaever, Brian David Josephson
• Chemistry - Ernst Otto Fischer, Geoffrey Wilkinson
• Medicine - Karl von Frisch, Konrad Lorenz, Nikolaas Tinbergen
• Literature - Patrick White
• Peace - Henry A. Kissinger, Le Duc Tho
• Economics - Wassily Leontief