1973

Events in 1973 85

• 1876 – 1973 Pablo Casals (1876-1973) Died 22 October 1973, aged 96 Pablo Casals, the Spanish-Catalan cellist and conductor widely regarded as one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, died in Puerto Rico. He was also known for refusing to perform in countries that recognized Franco's government.
• 1881 – 1973 Pablo Picasso Cubism · Spain Pablo Picasso (October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor and printmaker who co-founded Cubism with Braque. One of the most prolific and influential artists in history, he created over 20,000 works in a career spanning 80 years.
• 1882 – 1973 Gustaf VI Adolf The Archaeologist King A respected scholar and botanist whose dignity helped preserve the monarchy.
• 1886 – 1973 David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) Died 1 December 1973, aged 87 David Ben-Gurion, the founding prime minister of Israel and a principal author of its declaration of independence, died at his desert home in Sde Boker. He remains one of the central figures in the establishment of the modern Israeli state.
• 1886 – 1973 Sessue Hayakawa (1886-1973) Japanese actor, one of the first Asian film stars in Hollywood, later Oscar-nominated for The Bridge on the River Kwai.
• 1891 – 1973 Joe E. Brown (1891-1973) American comedian with a famously wide mouth, remembered for the last line of Some Like It Hot.
• 1892 – 1973 Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) Died 6 March 1973, aged 80 American writer Pearl S. Buck, best known for her novel The Good Earth and winner of the 1938 Nobel Prize in Literature, died in Danby, Vermont. She spent much of her early life in China, which shaped much of her writing.
• 1892 – 1973 Robert Watson-Watt (1892-1973) Died 5 December 1973, aged 81 Scottish engineer Robert Watson-Watt, a pioneer of radar technology whose work was critical to Britain's air defense during the Second World War, died in Inverness, Scotland.
• 1892 – 1973 J. R. R. Tolkien English fantasy writer Tolkien created The Lord of the Rings, defining modern epic fantasy literature and world-building.
• 1892 – 1973 J.R.R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English author, philologist and academic whose creation of Middle-earth — its languages, histories, myths and peoples — constitutes one of the most sustained acts of world-building in literary history. A professor of Anglo-Saxon and later English Language and Literature at Oxford, Tolkien spent forty years constructing a mythology he called 'a mythology for England,' rooted in Old English, Norse and Finnish literary traditions. The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) transformed fantasy literature and have sold over 600 million copies combined. He died before completing The Silmarillion, which his son Christopher edited and published posthumously in 1977.
• 1893 – 1973 Edward G. Robinson (1893-1973) Died 26 January 1973, aged 79 Romanian-born American actor Edward G. Robinson, famed for gangster roles including Little Caesar, died in Los Angeles shortly after being awarded an honorary Academy Award. He was one of the defining stars of early Hollywood sound cinema.
• 1895 – 1973 Artturi Ilmari Virtanen Nobel Prize in Chemistry Inventor of AIV fodder, which revolutionized food preservation and earned him a Nobel Prize.
• 1897 – 1973 Paavo Nurmi The Flying Finn Middle and long-distance runner who won nine Olympic gold medals.
• 1899 – 1973 Noël Coward (1899-1973) Died 26 March 1973, aged 73 English playwright, composer, and actor Noël Coward, known for works including Private Lives and Blithe Spirit, died at his home in Jamaica. He was knighted for his contribution to the arts the year before his death.
• 1904 – 1973 Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) Died 23 September 1973, aged 69 Chilean poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda, winner of the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature, died in Santiago days after the military coup that overthrew his close ally Salvador Allende. His work remains among the most widely translated poetry in the world.
• 1906 – 1973 Lon Chaney Jr. (1906-1973) American actor, son of Lon Chaney, who played the Wolf Man and nearly every Universal monster.
• 1907 – 1973 W. H. Auden (1907-1973) Died 29 September 1973, aged 66 British-American poet W. H. Auden, regarded as one of the great English-language poets of the 20th century, died in Vienna. His work spanned political, religious, and love poetry across five decades.
• 1908 – 1973 Anna Magnani (1908-1973) Died 26 September 1973, aged 65 Italian actress Anna Magnani, known for her role in Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Open City and winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Rose Tattoo, died in Rome.
• 1908 – 1973 Salvador Allende (1908-1973) Died 11 September 1973, aged 65 Salvador Allende, the democratically elected socialist president of Chile, died during the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet that overthrew his government. His death marked the end of Chile's democratic period and the start of a 17-year dictatorship.
• 1908 – 1973 Lyndon B. Johnson 36th President — Great Society, Vietnam War Lyndon B. Johnson (Aug 27, 1908 – Jan 22, 1973) was the 36th President 1963-1969. He passed landmark civil rights legislation and the Great Society programmes, but was consumed by the Vietnam War and chose not to seek re-election.
• 1909 – 1973 Robert Ryan (1909-1973) American actor, a Dartmouth boxing champion who excelled as intense villains in film noir.
• 1916 – 1973 Betty Grable (1916-1973) Died 2 July 1973, aged 56 American actress and dancer Betty Grable, the top box-office star and most popular pin-up of the 1940s, died of lung cancer in Santa Monica, California.
• 1922 – 1973 Veronica Lake (1922-1973) Died 7 July 1973, aged 50 American actress Veronica Lake, known for her peek-a-boo hairstyle and film noir roles in the 1940s, died of hepatitis and kidney failure in Vermont after struggling with alcoholism in her later years.
• 1928 – 1973 Laurence Harvey (1928-1973) Lithuanian-born British actor, star of Room at the Top and The Manchurian Candidate.
• 1940 – 1973 Bruce Lee Martial artist, actor and philosopher — born San Francisco 1940 Bruce Lee (Lee Jun-fan) was born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco. He became the most influential martial artist of the 20th century, transforming how Asian people were portrayed in film and inspiring generations worldwide. He died on July 20, 1973, aged 32.
• 1945 – 1973 Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan (1945-1973) Grateful Dead founding member Organist, harmonica player and blues singer of the early Grateful Dead. Died of liver disease aged 27.
• 1946 – 1973 Gram Parsons (1946-1973) Died 19 September 1973, aged 26 American musician Gram Parsons, a pioneer of country rock through his work with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and as a solo artist, died of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree, California. His influence shaped the sound of country rock for decades after his death.
• 1964 – 1973 The Byrds American rock band Los Angeles band of Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke — pioneers of folk rock, psychedelia and country rock.
• 1964 – 1973 The Velvet Underground American rock band Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker — Andy Warhol's house band and the root of punk and alternative rock.
• 1965 – 1973 The Doors American rock band Los Angeles band of Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore — Light My Fire, Break On Through and L.A. Woman.
• 1971 – 1973 Marvin, Welch & Farrar Vocal trio with John Farrar Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch formed the vocal trio Marvin, Welch & Farrar with Australian musician John Farrar — a departure from the instrumental Shadows sound toward close vocal harmonies.
• 1973 Cell Phone Handheld Call The first handheld mobile phone call made by Martin Cooper.
• 1973 First mobile phone call First mobile phone call Martin Cooper of Motorola made the first handheld mobile phone call on a New York street on 3 April 1973, ringing his rival Joel Engel at Bell Labs. The prototype weighed over a kilogram and gave half an hour of talk time. Motorola took another decade to bring a commercial handset to market.
• 1973 GPS Global Positioning System The first satellite launch in a system that revolutionized global navigation.
• 1973 Genetic engineering Recombinant DNA created Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer created the first recombinant DNA organism in 1973, founding the field of genetic engineering and modern biotechnology.
• 1973 – present Los Lobos American rock band East Los Angeles band of David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano and Steve Berlin, blending rock, blues, country and Mexican folk.
• 1973 Oil crisis OPEC embargo Arab OPEC members imposed an oil embargo in 1973, causing prices to quadruple and triggering fuel shortages and recession across the West.
• 1973 Second NBA championship The Knicks defeat the Lakers again, this time in five games, for their second NBA title.
• 1973 – 1974 Tal's 95-game unbeaten streak All-time record in competitive chess Between 1973 and 1974 Mikhail Tal went 95 consecutive games without a loss in competitive chess — a record that stood for over 40 years until broken by Magnus Carlsen.
• 1973 The Shadows reform Marvin, Welch, Bennett & Farrar The Shadows reformed in 1973 with the line-up of Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Brian Bennett and John Farrar — the configuration that would represent the band at Eurovision two years later.
• 1973 UK joins EEC Britain enters European Community The United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community on 1 January 1973, beginning Britain's decades-long European chapter.
• 1973 Elvis Presley's Aloha from Hawaii concert broadcast First concert by a solo artist broadcast live globally via satellite Elvis Presley performed a concert in Honolulu that was broadcast live by satellite to television audiences across Asia and Oceania, and later worldwide. It was one of the most watched broadcasts by an individual entertainer in television history.
• 1973 Roe v. Wade decided US Supreme Court establishes constitutional right to abortion The US Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the Constitution protects a woman's right to choose to have an abortion, striking down many state restrictions. The decision shaped American law and politics for nearly five decades until it was overturned in 2022.
• 1973 Paris Peace Accords signed Agreement ends direct US military involvement in Vietnam The United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the Viet Cong signed the Paris Peace Accords, ending direct American combat involvement in the Vietnam War. A ceasefire took effect and prisoners of war were exchanged, though fighting between North and South Vietnam continued until 1975.
• 1973 United States ends military conscription Selective Service draft calls halted as Vietnam War winds down The United States Department of Defense announced the end of the draft, moving to an all-volunteer military force. The change followed years of protest against conscription during the Vietnam War.
• 1973 The O'Jays top the charts with Love Train Number one A global call for unity.
• 1973 – present Luís Montenegro Current Prime Minister The current Prime Minister of Portugal, took office in 2024.
• 1973 Wounded Knee occupation American Indian Movement activists occupy South Dakota town for 71 days Members of the American Indian Movement occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, to protest federal Indian policy and corrupt tribal leadership. The 71-day standoff with federal law enforcement left two Native American activists dead before a negotiated end.
• 1973 1st Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Winner: Dick Wilmarth — 20 days 0h 49m The inaugural Iditarod was held in March 1973, covering 1,049 miles from Anchorage to Nome across Alaskan wilderness. 35 teams started, 22 finished. Dick Wilmarth won with lead dog Hotfoot in 20 days. Founded by Joe Redington Sr. to celebrate Alaska sled dog heritage, the race became known as "The Last Great Race on Earth."
• 1973 The Dark Side of the Moon released Pink Floyd album becomes one of the best-selling records of all time Pink Floyd released their eighth studio album, The Dark Side of the Moon, exploring themes of conflict, time, and mental illness. It spent over 900 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and became one of the best-selling albums in history.
• 1973 – present Jason Kidd J-Kidd One of the all-time great playmakers and a 2011 NBA champion.
• 1973 World Trade Center opens Twin Towers open in Lower Manhattan The World Trade Center's Twin Towers officially opened in New York City, briefly becoming the tallest buildings in the world. The complex became a global symbol of New York's financial district until its destruction in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• 1973 Bob Marley and the Wailers release Catch a Fire International debut Reggae dressed up for rock audiences.
• 1973 1973 World Snooker Championship Reardon Title 2 Winner: Ray Reardon; Runner-up: Eddie Charlton. Score: 38–32.
• 1973 Sears Tower topped out Chicago skyscraper becomes world's tallest building Construction of the Sears Tower in Chicago was completed, making it the tallest building in the world at 442 metres, a title it held for nearly 25 years. The building later became known as Willis Tower.
• 1973 Skylab launched First United States space station reaches orbit NASA launched Skylab, the first American space station, atop a modified Saturn V rocket. Despite damage during launch that required an emergency repair mission, three crews lived aboard the station over the following year, conducting scientific research.
• 1973 Greek monarchy abolished Greece becomes a republic The military junta abolished the monarchy, which was later permanently rejected in a referendum.
• 1973 Helmets become compulsory in Britain United Kingdom Thirty-eight years after the crash, wearing a helmet became a legal requirement for every motorcyclist in the country. Most of the world followed.
• 1973 Secretariat wins the Triple Crown Racehorse sets Belmont Stakes record still unbroken The racehorse Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths to complete horse racing's Triple Crown, the first horse to do so in 25 years. His Belmont time of 2:24 remains a track record.
• 1973 – 1974 Watergate scandal Nixon resigns The break-in at the Watergate complex and subsequent cover-up led to the only resignation of a sitting US President, Richard Nixon, in August 1974.
• 1973 Live and Let Die — Roger Moore Roger Moore makes his Bond debut, introducing a lighter, more humorous interpretation of the character. Bond investigates a Caribbean drug lord and faces a voodoo cult. Paul McCartney contributes the title song, the first time a former Beatle contributes to a Bond soundtrack — one of the most successful songs in the franchise's history. Budget: $7 million. Box office: $161.8 million.
• 1973 Bahamas gains independence Former British colony becomes an independent nation The Bahamas gained full independence from the United Kingdom, with Lynden Pindling becoming the first prime minister of the new nation. The islands remained within the Commonwealth of Nations.
• 1973 The Allman Brothers Band release Brothers and Sisters Ramblin' Man Their biggest album, with Ramblin' Man and Jessica.
• 1973 – present Sergey Brin Google co-founder Sergey Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page at Stanford in 1998, transforming how humanity accesses and organises information.
• 1973 Marvin Gaye releases Let's Get It On Number one single His biggest-selling album at Motown.
• 1973 Goats Head Soup Eleventh album — August 31, 1973 Goats Head Soup, released on August 31, 1973, was recorded in Jamaica. It reached number 1 in both UK and US and included the ballad "Angie", their first UK number 1 single since 1969.
• 1973 Star Trek: The Animated Series Following the live-action series' cancellation, an animated continuation runs for two seasons (1973-74) on NBC Saturday mornings, with most of the original cast returning to voice their characters. It is later declared canon by some fan communities and ignored by others. Wins a Daytime Emmy — the first Star Trek production to win an Emmy.
• 1973 Chilean coup d'état Pinochet overthrows President Salvador Allende Chile's armed forces, led by General Augusto Pinochet, staged a coup against the elected government of President Salvador Allende. Allende died during the assault on the presidential palace, La Moneda, and Pinochet established a military dictatorship that lasted until 1990.
• 1973 – 2013 Paul Walker (1973-2013) Died 30 November 2013, aged 40 Paul Walker was an American actor known for starring in the Fast & Furious film franchise. He died in a car crash in Santa Clarita, California, as a passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend.
• 1973 – present Carl XVI Gustaf King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf became king in 1973 and is Sweden’s longest-reigning monarch.
• 1973 – present Prince Daniel Duke of Västergötland A former personal trainer who married the Crown Princess and became a member of the Royal House.
• 1973 East and West Germany join the United Nations Both German states admitted as full UN members The German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany were both admitted to the United Nations as separate member states. The move reflected the formal acceptance of German division sixteen years before reunification.
• 1973 Battle of the Sexes tennis match Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in televised exhibition Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in straight sets in a televised exhibition tennis match at the Houston Astrodome, watched by an estimated 90 million viewers worldwide. The match became a landmark moment for gender equality in sport.
• 1973 Juan Perón returns to power in Argentina Exiled leader wins election and is inaugurated president Juan Perón, in exile since being overthrown in 1955, won the Argentine presidential election with his wife Isabel as vice president. He was inaugurated for a third term on 12 October 1973, but died less than a year later.
• 1973 Yom Kippur War Egypt and Syria launch surprise attack on Israel Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a coordinated surprise attack on Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. The war ended in an Israeli military recovery after early losses, and led to a US-brokered ceasefire and later peace negotiations. It also triggered the Arab oil embargo against Western nations.
• 1973 Sydney Opera House Opens in Australia The Sydney Opera House was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 20, 1973, becoming one of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century.
• 1973 War Powers Resolution enacted US Congress limits presidential power to wage war The United States Congress passed the War Powers Resolution over President Nixon's veto, requiring the president to notify Congress before committing armed forces to conflict and limiting deployments without congressional approval. It was a direct response to the escalation of the Vietnam War without formal declarations of war.
• 1973 Billy Joel releases Piano Man Signature song The title song becomes his signature.
• 1973 Death of John Rostill 26 November 1973 Former bassist John Rostill died on 26 November 1973, electrocuted while playing a faulty electric guitar in his home studio in Shenley — discovered by Bruce Welch. A coroner later attributed the death to suicide. Rostill was just 31 and had written several of the band's most successful later compositions.
• 1973 – present Ryan Giggs The Welsh Wizard The most decorated player in English football history with 13 Premier League titles.
• 1973 – present Monica Seles The Giggler Won 8 majors as a teenager before a tragic on-court stabbing halted her dominance.
• 1973 Paul McCartney and Wings release Band on the Run Recorded in Lagos Wings' best album, recorded in Nigeria.
• 1973 Assassination of Luis Carrero Blanco Basque separatist group ETA kills Spanish prime minister ETA militants detonated a bomb under a Madrid street, killing Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco, a close ally of dictator Francisco Franco who had been groomed as his successor. The assassination destabilized the final years of the Franco regime.
• 1973 The Exorcist released Horror film becomes a cultural phenomenon and box office record-setter William Friedkin's film The Exorcist premiered in the United States, becoming one of the highest-grossing and most controversial horror films ever made. Its depiction of demonic possession prompted fainting and walkouts among audiences.
• 1973 Endangered Species Act signed United States enacts landmark wildlife protection law President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act, creating a legal framework to protect threatened and endangered plants and animals in the United States. It became one of the most powerful environmental laws in the world.