BestOfDate

October 20th, 1973.

October 20th, 1973, was a Saturday. It was day 293 of 1973. The decade was the Seventies.

49 years, 5 months and 3 days have passed since October 20th, 1973.

The zodiac star sign for this date is Libra.

On This Day

What happened on this date?

Notable events that occurred on October 20th, 1973.

  • U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus are fired by President Richard Nixon after they refuse to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox.
Song charts

Top songs.

These songs were on top of the music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom on October 20th, 1973.

  • United States: Angie - The Rolling Stones
  • United Kingdom: Eye Level - Simon Park Orchestra

The Billboard Hot 100 on October 20th, 1973.

A list of songs that were dominating the music charts on this date.

  • Angie - The Rolling Stones
  • Half-Breed - Cher
  • Ramblin Man - The Allman Brothers Band
  • Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
  • Midnight Train To Georgia - Gladys Knight And The Pips
Play the top hits from 1973.
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1973. Take a trip back to the days of Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Deep Purple, the Doobie Brothers and Elton John.
The Cheerleaders

Top movie.

The top "Box Office" movie on this date was the film "The Cheerleaders".

Take me back to October 20th, 1973!

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is October 20th, 1973, and it's a Saturday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Libra. Currently, people are enjoying their weekend.

The summer is long gone. Temperatures have started to become much cooler and the evenings are beginning to get darker. Fallen leaves have carpeted driveways, lawns, pathways and sidewalks and there's a fresh earthy scent in the ear. Halloween of 1973 is quickly approaching.

In America, the song Angie by The Rolling Stones is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Eye Level by Simon Park Orchestra is the number one hit song. Richard Nixon is currently the President of the United States, and the movie The Cheerleaders is at the top of the Box Office.

In the United Kingdom, Edward Heath is the current Prime Minister. In fashion, the hippie look from the 1960s is still popular. Clothing items such as tie dye shirts, bell-bottoms, midi skirts, gauchos and Mexican blouses are being worn by women. Meanwhile, men are wearing dark satin shirts, ethnic-looking tunics, bell bottom jeans, tweed sports jackets and turtlenecks. It's 1973, so radio stations are playing songs from artists such as The Rolling Stones, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Sweet, Elton John, Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Marvin Gaye and Jim Croce.

"The Way We Were", starring Barbra Streisand, is being shown in movie theaters at the moment. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Oskar Schindler would be still alive. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "Adam-12", "The Odd Couple", "The Partridge Family" and "The Rookies".

Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Pong", "Space Race" and "Gotcha". Children and teenagers are currently watching television shows such as "The Pink Panther Show", "Yogi's Gang", "Star Trek: The Animated Series" and "Bailey's Comets". Popular toys at the moment include the likes of Operation, Clackers, Uno (card game) and Baby Alive (doll).

News

News topics, nostalgic fads, and pop culture events.

These are trending news stories and fads that were prevalent at this time. These are topics that would have been in the media on October 20th, 1973.

  • Saturday Night Massacre.

    Saturday Night Massacre.

    The Watergate Scandal was ongoing during this period of time. On October 20th, 1973, US President Richard Nixon fired one of the lead prosecutors in the case. Furthermore, Attorney General Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus were both forced by Nixon to resign after they refused to fire the prosecutor themselves. Following the Saturday Night Massacre, pressure began to mount for the impeachment of the president.

  • The kung fu craze.

    The kung fu craze.

    Following the success of the Hong Kong martial arts film "Five Fingers of Death" in March of 1973, multiple kung fu movies went on to reach the top of the US box office that year.

  • 1973-74 stock market crash.

    1973-74 stock market crash.

    Between January, 1973 and December, 1974, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost over 45% of its value. The U.K. stock market fared even worse, with the FT 30 losing over 70% of its value.

  • Who were the best NBA players in 1973?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1973?

    The best NBA players in 1973 were Dave Cowens, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Spencer Haywood, Nate Archibald and Jerry West.

  • 1973 in movies.

    1973 in movies.

    Movies released in 1973 included The Sting, The Exorcist, American Graffiti, Papillon, The Way We Were, Charlotte's Web, Magnum Force, Last Tango in Paris, Live and Let Die, Robin Hood, Paper Moon, The Wicker Man, The Legend of Hell House and Badlands.

  • Who were the best football players in 1973?

    Who were the best football players in 1973?

    In 1973, the best soccer players were Johan Cruyff, Dino Zoff, Gerd Müller, Franz Beckenbauer, Billy Bremner, Kazimierz Deyna, Eusébio, Gianni Rivera, Gunter Netzer and Ralf Edström.

  • The Sting.

    The Sting.

    "The Sting" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1973.

  • John Sirica.

    John Sirica.

    John Sirica was named as the Time Person of the Year in 1973. Sirica was the judge who ordered U.S. President Richard Nixon to hand over the Watergate-related recordings.

  • Roberta Flack - "Killing Me Softly with His Song"

    Roberta Flack - "Killing Me Softly with His Song"

    "Killing Me Softly with His Song" by Roberta Flack won a Grammy for 1973's Song of the Year.

  • 1973 in music.

    1973 in music.

    The Billboard Charts in 1973 were dominated by Marvin Gaye, Carly Simon, Dawn & Tony Orlando, Eddie Kendricks, Elton John, Roberta Flack, Paul McCartney and Wings, Clint Holmes, Billy Preston, Cher, Jim Croce and Diana Ross.

  • The US military is withdrawing from the Vietnam War.

    The US military is withdrawing from the Vietnam War.

    During 1973, the war in Vietnam was still ongoing. However, by this stage, the US was steadily withdrawing its military from the country. Between 1972 and 1973, the number of US troops in Vietnam fell from 24,200 to 50. Although a peace agreement was signed at the start of 1973, it was quickly broken by both sides.

  • Music cassette tapes are becoming popular.

    Music cassette tapes are becoming popular.

    From about 1972 onward, audio cassettes started to become more widespread. Although they lacked the sound quality of vinyl records, they were far more convenient and portable.

  • Color TV surpasses black-and-white.

    Color TV surpasses black-and-white.

    Around this period, sales of color TV sets began to surpass sales of the older black-and-white sets. By this stage, almost all of the popular daytime networks were broadcasting in color.

  • Have a nice day!

    Have a nice day!

    Around this time, the smiley face and phrases such as "Have a nice day!" and "Have a happy day!" were being plastered onto t-shirts, mugs and badges.

  • People are using wallpaper to decorate their homes.

    People are using wallpaper to decorate their homes.

    Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, wallpaper was extremely common in people's homes. It wasn't until the mid-late 1980s that "modernism" started to creep in.

  • The Hippie movement.

    The Hippie movement.

    In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the hippie counterculture was at its height in popularity. The movement, which sprung up in opposition to the Vietnam War, was centered around peace, psychedelic music, sexual liberation, bright colors and drugs such as LSD and marijuana.

  • Lava lamps are all the rage.

    Lava lamps are all the rage.

    In the late 1960s, sales of lava lamps took off. It wasn't until the second half of the 1970s that they started to go out of fashion.

  • The afro hairstyle is at its peak in popularity.

    The afro hairstyle is at its peak in popularity.

    In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the afro hairstyle was at its peak in popularity. Public figures such as Angela Davis, Pam Grier, Jimi Hendrix and the Jackson 5 were among those who sported the style.

Information

Basic facts.

Basic facts and information about this date.

  • This date fell on a weekend.
  • 49 years, 5 months and 3 days have passed since October 20th, 1973.
  • Week Number: This date occurred during Week 42 of 1973.
  • Leap Year: 1973 was not a leap year.
  • Age: A person born on October 20th, 1973 will be 49 years old.
  • Generation: People born in 1973 belong to the Generation X generation.
  • Unix Timestamp: The Unix Timestamp for this date is 119919600.
Events

Around this time.

Notable events that happened close to October 20th, 1973.

  • September 20th, 1973: American singer Jim Croce is killed in a plane crash.
  • September 20th, 1973: Battle of the Sexes: 90 million people tune in to watch female tennis player Billie Jean King defeating Bobby Riggs at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
  • September 28th, 1973: The ITT building in New York is bombed by a left-wing militant organization due to the company's involvement in the 1973 Pinochet coup in Chile.
  • October 6th, 1973: Soccer: Liam Brady makes his debut for Arsenal.
  • October 6th, 1973: The Yom Kippur War begins when a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria launches a surprise attack on Israel.
  • October 9th, 1973: Elvis and Priscilla Presley are divorced.
  • October 10th, 1973: Spiro T. Agnew resigns as the Vice President of the United States and pleads "No Contest" to one felony charge of tax fraud.
  • October 15th, 1973: Soccer: Brian Clough and Peter Taylor resign from Derby County.
  • This date: October 20th, 1973
  • October 24th, 1973: The first episode of Kojak is aired.
  • October 31st, 1973: Three Provisional IRA prisoners escape Mountjoy Prison in Dublin by helicopter.
  • November 8th, 1973: John Paul Getty III's kidnappers mail his severed ear to a newspaper in a bid to convince his oil tycoon grandfather to pay a ransom.
  • November 14th, 1973: United Kingdom: Princess Anne marries Captain Mark Phillips.
  • November 17th, 1973: Athens Polytechnic uprising: A massive student demonstration against the Greek military junta ends in violence.

Personality traits.

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on October 20th, 1973.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Zodiac info

Horoscope, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Zodiac and birthstone information.

NEW! Check out our personality summary image for this birth date.

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on October 20th, 1973, will have the star sign Libra.
  • Zodiac Element: Air.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1973 was the year of the Ox (Yin Wood).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 5.
  • Native American Zodiac: October 20th, 1973 falls under the Raven.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of October will have the birthstones Tourmaline and Opal.
  • Birth flower (October): The Marigold and the Cosmos.

Photos of 1970s fashion.

Photographs of 1970s fashion and hairstyles.

Photos of 1970s fashion.

Television shows

TV shows in 1973.

Television shows that people were watching in October, 1973.

TV shows from October, 1973.

The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
Sci-fi series about a superhuman man who was rebuilt using bionic implants.

Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones
Television series about a Private Detective and his widowed daughter-in-law.

Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
British sitcom about three senior citizens in the Yorkshire Dales.

M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H
TV series about an American military medical unit during the Korean War.

The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show
Sitcom starring Bob Newhart as a psychologist called Dr. Robert Hartley.

Ghost Story
Ghost Story
Horror anthology series starring Sebastian Cabot.

The Waltons
The Waltons
TV series about a family living in rural Virginia during the Great Depression.

Maude
Maude
Sitcom starring Bea Arthur as Maude Findlay. Spin-off of All in the Family.

The Rookies
The Rookies
American police series.

Emergency!
Emergency!
TV series about a fire department in LA.

Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
American sitcom starring Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson.

Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
British drama series about the aristocratic Bellamy family and their household staff.

Soul Train
Soul Train
American music program that was dedicated to funk, soul and R&B music.

McMillan & Wife
McMillan & Wife
TV show about a San Francisco police commissioner and his wife Sally.

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
Variety show starring pop singers Sonny Bono and Cher.

The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies
British comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett.

All in the Family
All in the Family
American sitcom about the life of a working-class father and his family.

The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
Musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones.

The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
Starring Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Sitcom about a career-oriented woman who moves to Minneapolis after separating from her partner.

The Flip Wilson Show
The Flip Wilson Show
Variety show hosted by Flip Wilson.

McCloud
McCloud
A New Mexico deputy marshall gets assigned to Manhattan's 27th Precinct.

The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
Sitcom about a large family with six children.

Medical Center
Medical Center
American medical drama series starring James Daly, Chad Everett and Audrey Totter.

Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Medical drama television program.

Room 222
Room 222
American comedy-drama series about a history class in an LA school.

The Main Chance
The Main Chance
British TV series about a solicitor who moves from London to Leeds.

Cars in 1973.

1974 saw the introduction of cars such as the Ford Mustang (second generation), the Mitsubishi Lancer, the Toyota Starlet, the Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna, the Buick Regal and the Volkswagen Passat.

Cars in 1973.

Children TV shows

Kids' TV shows on October 20th, 1973.

Cartoons and TV shows that children and teenagers were watching on this day in 1973.

The Addams Family
The Addams Family

Super Friends
Super Friends

Bailey's Comets
Bailey's Comets

Inch High, Private Eye
Inch High, Private Eye

Speed Buggy
Speed Buggy

Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series

Yogi's Gang
Yogi's Gang

Schoolhouse Rock!
Schoolhouse Rock!

Lassie's Rescue Rangers
Lassie's Rescue Rangers

The Adventures of Black Beauty
The Adventures of Black Beauty

The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

The Electric Company
The Electric Company

Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!
Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!

All in the Family
All in the Family

Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Sesame Street
Sesame Street

The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines

The Pink Panther Show
The Pink Panther Show

The Banana Splits
The Banana Splits

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

JOT the Dot
JOT the Dot

Underdog
Underdog

The Bugs Bunny Show
The Bugs Bunny Show

Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo

Toys

Popular toys and games in 1973.

Toys and games that were popular on this date in 1973.

Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle
Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle

Baby Alive (doll)
Baby Alive (doll)

Shrinky Dinks
Shrinky Dinks

Magnavox Odyssey
Magnavox Odyssey

Kenner SSP Racers
Kenner SSP Racers

Big Jim (action figure)
Big Jim (action figure)

Uno (card game)
Uno (card game)

The Rock Flowers dolls
The Rock Flowers dolls

Weebles
Weebles

VertiBird (toy helicopter)
VertiBird (toy helicopter)

Nerf Balls
Nerf Balls

G.I. Joe Adventure Team
G.I. Joe Adventure Team

Crissy (doll)
Crissy (doll)

Frisbee
Frisbee

Clackers
Clackers

Battleship (game)
Battleship (game)

Lite-Brite
Lite-Brite

Twister mat
Twister mat

Operation
Operation

The Easy-Bake Oven
The Easy-Bake Oven

Etch A Sketch
Etch A Sketch

Troll doll
Troll doll

Video games

Video games.

Popular video games that people were playing in October of 1973.

Gotcha 1973
Gotcha
Arcade game developed by Atari.

Space Race 1973
Space Race
Arcade game in which two players each control a rocket ship.

Pong 1972
Pong
Table tennis game.

Were you born on this date?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1973.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out October 20th, 1979, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays.

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on October 20th.

Mickey Mantle

Baseball player. Deceased
Born on October 20th, 1931
He turned 42 on this day in 1973.

Tom Petty

Musician. Deceased
Born on October 20th, 1950
He turned 23 on this day in 1973.

Scott Hall

Wrestler. Deceased
Born on October 20th, 1958
He turned 15 on this day in 1973.

Viggo Mortensen

Actor.
Born on October 20th, 1958
He turned 15 on this day in 1973.

Kamala Harris

US Vice President.
Born on October 20th, 1964
She turned 9 on this day in 1973.

Snoop Dogg

Rapper.
Born on October 20th, 1971
He turned 2 on this day in 1973.

John Krasinski

Actor.
Born on October 20th, 1979
He was born exactly 6 years after this date.

Candice Swanepoel

Actor.
Born on October 20th, 1988
She was born exactly 15 years after this date.

USA

US President.

Richard Nixon was the President of the United States on October 20th, 1973.

UK

UK Prime Minister.

Edward Heath was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach.

Liam Cosgrave was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates.

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on October 20th, 1973 was most likely conceived around January 27th, 1973.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on October 20th, 1973 is close to July 13th, 1974.

Post a comment about this date.

Have something to say about this date? Was it your birthday? Or perhaps you have a memory of it?

All comments are moderated before they are published. We may edit comments to correct misspellings and grammar. We may also remove or redact personal information.

How old was I?

Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on October 20th, 1973.
This information is not transmitted to our server.

Stats for October 20th, 1973

Time difference & statistics.

Here are some fun statistics about October 20th, 1973.

  • A total of 18,051 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,578 weeks have passed.
  • 1,559,610,000 seconds have passed since the October 20th, 1973.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,819,545,000 times.
  • Since October 20th, 1973, the Earth has travelled approximately 804,758,760,000 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 259,935,000 times.
  • If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 134,126,460 steps. That's about 59,612 miles!
  • Since this date, 18,715,320 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere!
  • How many years ago was 1973?

Search for another date.

It looks like you have reached the end! Try searching for another date.


« Previous Day
October 19, 1973
Next Day »
October 21, 1973

© 2014-2023 BestOfDate.com

We use cookies to deliver personalized advertisements, improve your experience and to analyze our site's performance.

For more details, please read our Privacy Policy.

Manage Cookie Preferences

You can set your cookie preferences below. However, please be aware that not allowing certain cookies may impact your experience of the site.

Performance
These cookies allow us to analyze our traffic so that we can measure and improve the performance of our site.
Functional
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. Disabling them may prevent certain services from working.
Targeting
These are cookies that can be set by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and serve relevant adverts to you on other websites and apps. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy.
Strictly Necessary
These are essential cookies that our website requires in order to function properly. More often than not, these are set after you perform a specific action.

You can change your choice at any time by using the Privacy Center link in our footer.

For more information, please read our Privacy Policy.