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April 1, 1974 April Fools' Day

April 1, 1974, was a Monday. It was 50 years, 6 months, and 14 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Aries.

Song charts

Music charts

Songs that were on top of the charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on April 1, 1974:

  • United States: "Hooked On A Feeling" by Blue Swede
  • United Kingdom: "Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks

The Billboard Hot 100 on April 1, 1974

These were the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart:

  • Sunshine On My Shoulders - John Denver
  • Hooked On A Feeling - Blue Swede
  • Seasons In The Sun - Terry Jacks
  • Bennie And The Jets - Elton John
  • Dark Lady - Cher
Play the top singles from 1974
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1974. Take a trip back to the days of Dolly Parton, Barry White, ABBA, Eric Clapton and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The Exorcist

Top movie at the box office

The movie "The Exorcist" was at the top of the box office on April 1, 1974.

Facts

This date occurred 18,460 days ago. Approximately 615 months have passed. It was the 91st day of 1974, in week 14. The decade was the seventies. People who were born on April 1, 1974, are now 50 years old and belong to the Generation X generation. The Earth has experienced 205 seasons of weather since then.

Take me back to April 1, 1974

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The date is April 1, 1974, and it's a Monday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Aries. The weekend has just passed, so some people are feeling a bit down. Others are tired after partying too much.

It is April Fools' Day, which means that people are playing practical jokes on one another. The summer of 1974 is drawing closer, and temperatures have started to rise. In America, the song "Hooked On A Feeling" by Blue Swede is at the top of the singles charts, while "Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks is the number-one song in the UK.

Richard Nixon is the President of the United States, and the movie The Exorcist is at the top of the box office. Harold Wilson is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. On television, people are watching popular shows such as "Hee Haw", "Sanford and Son", "The Rookies", and "Happy Days".

Because it's 1974, the music charts are being dominated by the likes of Carl Douglas, ABBA, Mud, the Steve Miller Band, George McCrae and Terry Jacks. In fashion, the hippie look from the 1960s and early 1970s has disappeared. The disco look is beginning to take off. Women are wearing t-shirts, khaki pants, mood rings, kimonos and flare jumpsuits. Meanwhile, men are wearing velvet sports coats, slogan t-shirts, flannel, frilly shirts, jeans and khaki chinos. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Oskar Schindler and Eamon de Valera would be still alive.

People are playing video games such as "Pong", "Space Race", and "Gotcha". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "The Bugs Bunny Show", "Inch High, Private Eye", "Super Friends", and "Happy Days". Children are playing with toys such as Lite-Brite, Weebles, Kenner SSP Racers, and Connect Four.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on April 1, 1974, will have the star sign Aries.
  • Zodiac Element: Fire.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1974 was the year of the Tiger (Yang Fire).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 8.
  • Native American Zodiac: April 1, 1974 falls under the Falcon.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of April will have the birthstone Diamond.
  • Birth flower (April): The Daisy and the Sweet Pea.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on April 1, 1974.

  • Girls are going missing in the Seattle area.

    Girls are going missing in the Seattle area

    Young women were beginning to disappear from Seattle and the wider Washington State area. At the time, Ted Bundy was still an unknown name, and none of the bodies had been found yet. However, people were aware that something terrible was going on. Between February and July 1974, eight women vanished from the area.
  • Who were the best NBA players in 1974?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1974?

    The best NBA players in 1974 were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Rick Barry, Walt Frazier and Gail Goodrich.
  • 1974 in movies.

    1974 in movies

    Movies released in 1974 included Blazing Saddles, The Towering Inferno, The Trial of Billy Jack, Young Frankenstein, Earthquake, The Godfather Part II, Airport 1975, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, The Longest Yard, Foxy Brown, Murder on the Orient Express and Benji.
  • Best soccer players.

    Best soccer players

    In 1974, the best soccer players were Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Kazimierz Deyna, Paul Breitner, Johan Neeskens, Grzegorz Lato, Gerd Müller, Robert Gadocha, Billy Bremner and Ralf Edström.
  • Roller skates.

    Roller skates

    The popularity of roller skates exploded during the second half of the 1970s.
  • The Godfather Part II.

    The Godfather Part II

    "The Godfather Part II" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1974.
  • Disco music.

    Disco music

    Disco music became mainstream during the latter half of the 1970s. Nightclub-goers often wore extravagant outfits. Furthermore, dances such as the "Hustle", the "Bump" and the "Penguin" also became popular.
  • King Faisal.

    King Faisal

    The King of Saudi Arabia, King Faisal, was named Time Person of the Year in 1974 due to his role in the 1973–74 oil crisis.
  • Barbra Streisand - "The Way We Were"

    Barbra Streisand - "The Way We Were"

    "The Way We Were" by Barbra Streisand won a Grammy for 1974's Song of the Year.
  • The Vietnam War is in its final stages.

    The Vietnam War is in its final stages

    The war in Vietnam was still ongoing. However, the US military had withdrawn. Meanwhile, North Vietnamese forces continued to win battles and make inroads into the south.
  • 1974 in music.

    1974 in music

    The Billboard Charts in 1974 were dominated by Barbra Streisand, Elton John, The Jackson 5, The Steve Miller Band, Terry Jacks, Ray Stevens, The Stylistics, Dionne Warwick and The Spinners.
  • 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 UK stock market fared even worse, with the FT 30 dropping by over 70%.
  • Hitchhiking is declining.

    Hitchhiking is declining

    Although hitchhiking is still pretty common, it is beginning to decline due to people's falling trust in strangers, lower air travel prices, an increase in highways, and more affordable cars.
  • Music cassette tapes are becoming popular.

    Music cassette tapes are becoming popular

    Audio cassettes started becoming widespread from about 1972 onward. 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

    Sales of color TV sets were beginning to surpass sales of the older black-and-white models. By this stage, almost all of the popular daytime networks were broadcasting in color.
  • Wallpaper.

    Wallpaper

    Wallpaper was extremely common in people's homes throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It wasn't until the mid-late 1980s that "modernism" started to creep in.
  • Office workers are using typewriters.

    Office workers are using typewriters

    Although personal computers began to emerge during the 1970s, typewriters were still the norm for most office workers.
  • The Volkswagen Beetle.

    The Volkswagen Beetle

    The Volkswagen Beetle was one of the most common cars on the road. Sales of the vehicle increased following the release of the 1968 film The Love Bug (and its subsequent spin-offs).
  • Lava lamps are all the rage.

    Lava lamps are all the rage

    Sales of lava lamps increased in the late 1960s. It wasn't until the second half of the 1970s that they started to go out of fashion.

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on April 1, 1974.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around April 1, 1974.

  • March 3, 1974: 346 people are killed when Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes northeast of Paris, France.
  • March 8, 1974:
    • The final episode of The Brady Bunch is aired.
    • Charles de Gaulle Airport is opened in France.
  • March 12, 1974: Serial killer Ted Bundy abducts and murders 19-year-old Donna Gail Manson in Oregon.
  • March 18, 1974:
    • The sitcom "Here's Lucy" is cancelled.
    • OPEC nations end a 5-month-long embargo against Europe, Japan and the United States.
  • March 20, 1974: A kidnap attempt is made on Princess Anne in London.
  • March 23, 1974: The musical sitcom "The Partridge Family" comes to an end.
  • March 29, 1974:
    • The Volkswagen Golf is launched in Germany.
    • A group of farmers discover the Terracotta Army in Shaanxi, China.
    • Mariner 10 becomes the first space probe to fly by Mercury.
  • This date: April 1, 1974
  • April 2, 1974: French president Georges Pompidou dies of cancer.
  • April 3, 1974:
    • Super Outbreak: 319 people are killed when a violent tornado outbreak occurs in central parts of the United States.
    • Kidnap victim Patty Hearst announces via audiotape that she has joined the Symbionese Liberation Army.
  • April 4, 1974: The BTK killer murders Kathryn Doreen Bright at her home in Wichita.
  • April 5, 1974: Stephen King's first novel "Carrie" is published.
  • April 6, 1974: ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest with their song Waterloo.
  • April 15, 1974: Kidnap victim Patty Hearst is captured on CCTV taking part in a bank robbery with the Symbionese Liberation Army in San Francisco.
  • April 17, 1974: Serial killer Ted Bundy abducts 18-year-old Susan Elaine Rancourt from Central Washington State College in Ellensburg, Washington.
  • April 27, 1974: Soccer: Don Revie has his final game as the manager of Leeds United.

1970s fashion

Photographs of 1970s fashion and hairstyles.

1970s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in April 1974

Television shows that people were watching in April 1974:

TV shows from April 1974.

Good Times
Good Times
Happy Days
Happy Days
Kojak
Kojak
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H
The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show
The Waltons
The Waltons
Maude
Maude
The Rookies
The Rookies
Emergency!
Emergency!

Cars in 1974

1974 saw the introduction of cars such as the Volkswagen Golf, the Dodge Ramcharger, the Audi 50, the Volvo 200 Series, the Renault 7, and the Ford Elite.

Cars in 1974.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in April 1974

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

Bagpuss
Bagpuss
Happy Days
Happy Days
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
Schoolhouse Rock!
Schoolhouse Rock!
The Adventures of Black Beauty
The Adventures of Black Beauty
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Toys

Toys in 1974

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Connect Four
Connect Four
Magna Doodle
Magna Doodle
Risk board game
Risk board game
Shrinky Dinks
Shrinky Dinks
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)
Weebles
Weebles
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in April 1974.

Gotcha 1973
Gotcha
Space Race 1973
Space Race
Pong 1972
Pong

Were you born on April 1, 1974?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1974.

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 April 1, 1980, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on April 1.

Otto von Bismarck

Otto von Bismarck

President of Prussia Deceased
Born on April 1, 1815
He was not alive on this date.

Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle

Singer
Born on April 1, 1961
She turned 13 on this day in 1974.

Phillip Schofield

Phillip Schofield

TV presenter
Born on April 1, 1962
He turned 12 on this day in 1974.

Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow

TV host
Born on April 1, 1973
She turned 1 on this day in 1974.

Randy Orton

Randy Orton

Wrestler
Born on April 1, 1980
He was born exactly 6 years after this date.

Sean Taylor

Sean Taylor

American football player Deceased
Born on April 1, 1983
He was born exactly 9 years after this date.

Jonny May

Jonny May

Rugby player
Born on April 1, 1990
He was born exactly 16 years after this date.

Logan Paul

Logan Paul

Youtuber
Born on April 1, 1995
He was born exactly 21 years after this date.

Holidays

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on April 1:

USA

US President

Richard Nixon was the President of the United States on April 1, 1974.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Harold Wilson 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 April 1, 1974 was most likely conceived around July 9, 1973.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on April 1, 1974 is close to December 23, 1974.

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Stats for April 1, 1974

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about April 1, 1974:

  • 18,460 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,637 weeks have passed.
  • 1,594,944,000 seconds have passed since April 1, 1974.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,860,768,000 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 822,991,104,000 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 265,824,000 times.
  • You have taken approximately 137,165,184 steps. That's roughly 60,962 miles.
  • 19,139,328 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1974?

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