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April 17, 1974

April 17, 1974, was a Wednesday. It was 50 years, 6 months, and 16 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Aries.

On This Day

What happened on this date?

Notable events that occurred on April 17, 1974:

  • Serial killer Ted Bundy abducts 18-year-old Susan Elaine Rancourt from Central Washington State College in Ellensburg, Washington.
Birthdays

Born on April 17, 1974

People who were born on this exact date:

Song charts

Top songs

These songs were on top of the music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom on April 17, 1974:

  • United States: "TSOP" by MFSB
  • United Kingdom: "Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks

The Billboard Hot 100 on April 17, 1974

These songs were dominating the music charts:

  • Bennie And The Jets - Elton John
  • Hooked On A Feeling - Blue Swede
  • TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) - MFSB Featuring The Three Degrees
  • The Lord's Prayer - Sister Janet Mead
  • Come And Get Your Love - Redbone
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.
Blazing Saddles

Top movie

The movie "Blazing Saddles" was at the top of the box office on this day.

Facts

This date occurred 18,463 days ago. Approximately 615 months have passed. It was the 107th day of 1974, in week 16. The decade was the seventies. People who were born on April 17, 1974, are now 50 years old and belong to the Generation X generation. We have gone through approximately 205 seasons of weather since this date.

Comments

Discussion about this date:

Laura Marathon

RIP Susan Rancourt. She'd be 66 years old if she was still alive today.
Posted on Apr 17, 2022 02:41


Submit a comment

Take me back to April 17, 1974

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is April 17, 1974, and it's a Wednesday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Aries. It is "Hump Day", so many are beginning to think about the weekend ahead.

The summer of 1974 is drawing closer, and temperatures have started to rise. In America, the song "TSOP" by MFSB 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 Blazing Saddles 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 "Gunsmoke", "Marcus Welby, M.D.", "Medical Center", and "McCloud". 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".

Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "The Bugs Bunny Show", "Schoolhouse Rock!", "Bailey's Comets", and "Super Friends". Children are playing with toys such as Crissy (doll), Big Jim (action figure), Magnavox Odyssey, and Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on April 17, 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 6.
  • Native American Zodiac: April 17, 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 17, 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 17, 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 17, 1974.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • This date: April 17, 1974
  • April 27, 1974: Soccer: Don Revie has his final game as the manager of Leeds United.
  • May 4, 1974: FA Cup Final 1974: Liverpool defeat Newcastle United 3-0.
  • May 6, 1974: 22-year-old Ted Bundy victim Roberta Kathleen Parks vanishes from Oregon State University in Corvallis.
  • May 12, 1974: The Boston Celtics win the 1974 NBA Finals after they defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 4-3.
  • May 17, 1974:
    • Football: Bayern Munich win the European Cup after defeating Atletico Madrid 4-0.
    • 33 people are killed when the UVF detonate four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan in Ireland.

1970s fashion

Photographs of 1970s fashion and hairstyles.

1970s fashion

Television shows

TV series on April 17, 1974

People in April 1974 were watching the following TV series:

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 17, 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 17, 1980, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on April 17.

William Holden

William Holden

Actor Deceased
Born on April 17, 1918
He turned 56 on this day in 1974.

Börje Salming

Börje Salming

Ice hockey player Deceased
Born on April 17, 1951
He turned 23 on this day in 1974.

Sean Bean

Sean Bean

English actor
Born on April 17, 1959
He turned 15 on this day in 1974.

Redman

Redman

Rapper
Born on April 17, 1970
He turned 4 on this day in 1974.

Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Garner

Actress
Born on April 17, 1972
She turned 2 on this day in 1974.

Tyron Woodley

Tyron Woodley

MMA fighter
Born on April 17, 1982
He was born exactly 8 years after this date.

Jake Cornish

Jake Cornish

Love Island contestant
Born on April 17, 1997
He was born exactly 23 years after this date.

USA

US President

Richard Nixon was the President of the United States on April 17, 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 17, 1974 was most likely conceived around July 25, 1973.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on April 17, 1974 is close to January 8, 1975.

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Stats for April 17, 1974

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about April 17, 1974:

  • 18,463 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,637 weeks have passed.
  • 1,595,206,800 seconds have passed since April 17, 1974.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,861,074,600 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 823,126,708,800 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 265,867,800 times.
  • You have taken approximately 137,187,785 steps. That's roughly 60,972 miles.
  • 19,142,482 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1974?

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