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October 16, 1974

October 16, 1974, was a Wednesday. It was 50 years and 20 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Libra.

Song charts

Top songs

These songs were on top of the music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom on October 16, 1974:

  • United States: "Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston
  • United Kingdom: "Sad Sweet Dreamer" by Sweet Sensation

The Billboard Hot 100 on October 16, 1974

These songs were dominating the music charts:

  • I Honestly Love You - Olivia Newton-John
  • Nothing From Nothing - Billy Preston
  • Then Came You - Dionne Warwicke & Spinners
  • Beach Baby - First Class
  • You Haven't Done Nothin - Stevie Wonder
Play the top songs 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.
Cabaret

Top movie

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

Facts

This date was 18,283 days ago. Approximately 609 months have passed. It was the 289th day of 1974, in week 42. The decade was the seventies. People born on this day are currently 50 years old and belong to the Generation X generation. We have gone through approximately 203 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to October 16, 1974

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

It is Wednesday, October 16, 1974. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Libra. It is "Hump Day", so many are beginning to think about the weekend ahead.

The summer is long gone. Temperatures have become much cooler, and the evenings are beginning to get darker. There is a fresh, earthy scent in the air, and fallen leaves have carpeted driveways, lawns, pathways, and sidewalks. In America, the song "Nothing From Nothing" by Billy Preston is at the top of the singles charts, while "Sad Sweet Dreamer" by Sweet Sensation is the number-one song in the UK.

Gerald Ford is the President of the United States, and the movie Cabaret is at the top of the box office. Harold Wilson is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 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 Eamon de Valera would be still alive. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "What's My Line?", "Adam-12", "Harry O", and "Police Woman".

Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Pong", "Space Race", and "Gotcha". Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "The Bugs Bunny Show", "JOT the Dot", "Sesame Street", and "Bagpuss". Popular toys at the moment include the Easy-Bake Oven, Uno (card game), Kenner SSP Racers, and Baby Alive (doll).

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on October 16, 1974, will have the star sign Libra.
  • Zodiac Element: Air.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1974 was the year of the Tiger (Yang Fire).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 11.
  • Native American Zodiac: October 16, 1974 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.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on October 16, 1974.

  • Women are going missing in Utah.

    Women are going missing in Utah

    In October and November of 1974, serial killer Ted Bundy was targeting young women in Utah.
  • 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 October 16, 1974.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

Notable events that happened close to October 16, 1974.

  • September 29, 1974: Montana crime: Serial killer David Meirhofer commits suicide.
  • October 2, 1974: Serial killer Ted Bundy murders 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox in Holladay, Utah.
  • October 9, 1974: Oskar Schindler dies from a heart attack at the age of 66.
  • This date: October 16, 1974
  • October 18, 1974: 17-year-old Ted Bundy victim Melissa Anne Smith vanishes from Midvale in Utah.
  • October 25, 1974: Bob Marley releases his album "Natty Dread", which contains songs such as "No Woman No Cry".
  • October 30, 1974: Muhammad Ali defeats George Foreman at the Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire.
  • October 31, 1974: Ted Bundy abducts 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime from Lehi, Utah.
  • November 8, 1974:
    • Carol DaRonch escapes from serial killer Ted Bundy's car after being abducted.
    • Ted Bundy victim Debra Jean Kent goes missing after leaving a high school play in Bountiful, Utah.
  • November 13, 1974: Ronald DeFeo, Jr., murders his family at their home in Amityville on Long Island.

1970s fashion

Photographs of 1970s fashion and hairstyles.

1970s fashion

Television shows

TV series on October 16, 1974

TV audiences were watching the following shows on October 16, 1974:

TV shows from October 1974.

Police Woman
Police Woman
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Harry O
Harry O
Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie
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

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

Kids TV shows on October 16, 1974

Cartoons and TV shows that children and teenagers were watching on this day in 1974:

Land of the Lost
Land of the Lost
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
Valley of the Dinosaurs
Valley of the Dinosaurs

Hong Kong Phooey
Hong Kong Phooey
The New Adventures of Gilligan
The New Adventures of Gilligan
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
Toys

Popular toys and games in 1974

Toys and games that were popular in 1974:

Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
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)
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in October 1974.

Gotcha 1973
Gotcha
Space Race 1973
Space Race
Pong 1972
Pong

Were you born on October 16, 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 October 16, 1980, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on October 16.

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

Writer Deceased
Born on October 16, 1854
He was not alive on this date.

Michael Collins

Michael Collins

Irish revolutionary leader Deceased
Born on October 16, 1890
He was not alive on this date.

Angela Lansbury

Angela Lansbury

Actress Deceased
Born on October 16, 1925
She turned 49 on this day in 1974.

Flea

Flea

Bassist
Born on October 16, 1962
He turned 12 on this day in 1974.

USA

US President

Gerald Ford was the President of the United States on October 16, 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 October 16, 1974 was most likely conceived around January 23, 1974.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on October 16, 1974 is close to July 9, 1975.

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Stats for October 16, 1974

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about October 16, 1974:

  • 18,283 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,611 weeks have passed.
  • 1,579,654,800 seconds have passed since October 16, 1974.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,842,930,600 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 815,101,876,800 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 263,275,800 times.
  • You have taken approximately 135,850,313 steps. That's roughly 60,378 miles.
  • 18,955,858 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1974?

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