What Happened in February 1974

Historical Events

  • Feb 1 Kuala Lumpur is declared a Federal Territory.

"The Way We Were"

Feb 2 Barbra Streisand's 1st #1 hit, "The Way We Were"

  • Feb 2 Playmobil toys debut at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, designed by Hans Beck and produced by the Brandstätter Group

"To Honor Mary"

Feb 2 Pope Paul VI encyclical "To Honor Mary"

  • Feb 2 Smallest crowd at Cleveland Arena (Cavs vs Golden State-1,641)
  • Feb 2 The F-16 Fighting Falcon flies for the first time.
  • Feb 3 "Pajama Game" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 65 performances

Patty Hearst Kidnapped

Feb 4 American publishing heir William Randolph Hearst’s 19-year-old daughter, Patty Hearst, is kidnapped from her apartment in Berkeley, California by the Symbionese Liberation Army

  • Feb 4 Chimpanzee Nim Chimsky signs his 1st word, at 2½ months
  • Feb 4 Gasoline rationing ends in the Netherlands
  • Feb 4 Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb explodes on a bus in West Yorkshire, England, carrying British Army soldiers and some of their family members
  • Feb 5 John Murtha of Pennsylvania becomes the first Vietnam War veteran elected to the United States Congress
  • Feb 5 Mats Wermelin, Sweden, scores all points in 272-0 basketball win
  • Feb 5 Maximum speed on Germany's Autobahn highway reduced to 100 kph
  • Feb 5 US Mariner 10 returns 1st close-up photos of Venus' cloud structure
  • Feb 6 3rd time Rangers shut-out Islanders 6-0
  • Feb 6 Dutch speed limit set at 100km due to oil crisis

House Considers Nixon Impeachment

Feb 6 US House of Reps begins determining grounds for impeachment of President Richard Nixon

  • Feb 7 American left-wing guerilla group Symbionese Liberation Army claim responsibility for the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, daughter of American publishing heir Randolph Hearst
  • Feb 7 Grenada gains independence from Britain (National Day)

Blazing Saddles

Feb 7 Mel Brooks' western spoof film "Blazing Saddles", starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder premieres at the Pickwick Drive-In in Burbank, California; patrons watched from horseback rather than cars

Snap Election

Feb 7 UK Prime Minister Edward Heath calls for a 'snap' general election in the midst of a protracted miners' strike

  • Feb 8 American television soap opera "The Secret Storm" ends a 20 year run on CBS

You're Sixteen

Feb 8 Ringo Starr releases a cover of "You're Sixteen" as a single in UK; originally released by Johnny Burnette in 1960

  • Feb 8 Three US astronauts return to Earth after a 85 days in the US space station, Skylab
  • Feb 8 TV sitcom "Good Times", spin-off from "Maude", starring Esther Rolle, John Amos, and J.J. Walker, premieres on CBS TV
  • Feb 9 "Daddy What If" by Bobby Bare peaks at #41
  • Feb 9 "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)" by Gordon Sinclair peaks at #24
  • Feb 9 British miners begin a strike in reaction to a wage dispute, prompting Prime Minister Edward Heath to declare a state of emergency and call for a special election

Hamill US Champion

Feb 9 US female Figure Skating championship won by Dorothy Hamill

  • Feb 9 US male Figure Skating championship won by Gordon McKellen Jr
  • Feb 10 "Gigi" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 103 performances
  • Feb 10 Iran / Iraqi border fight breaks out
  • Feb 10 Judy Ikenberry wins 1st Us women's marathon (2:55:17)
  • Feb 10 Silver futures hit record $4.81½ an ounce in London
  • Feb 11 First Major League Baseball arbitration case; Minnesota Twins pitcher Dick Woodson seeking $29,000 wins; Twins offered $23,000
  • Feb 11 Libya nationalizes three US oil companies that had not agreed to 51 percent nationalization in September
  • Feb 11 Titan-Centaur rocket test launch fails

Event of Interest

Feb 11 US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger unveils Nixon Administration's seven-point "Project Independence" plan to make the U.S. energy independent

  • Feb 12 Heads of state of Algeria, Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia discuss oil strategy in view of the progress in Arab-Israeli disengagement

Event of Interest

Feb 13 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian novelist and historian, is deported from the Soviet Union to Frankfurt, West Germany and stripped of his Soviet citizenship

Baseball Hall of Fame

Feb 13 James 'Cool Papa' Bell is named to baseball's Hall of Fame

  • Feb 13 Jill Williams' musical "Rainbow Jones" opens & closes at Music Box Theater, NYC, after 1 performance [1]

Daytona 500

Feb 17 16th Daytona 500: Richard Petty first driver to win back-to-back titles at Daytona; his 5th Great American race

  • Feb 17 49 die in stampede for seats at soccer match, Cairo, Egypt
  • Feb 17 Robert K. Preston, a disgruntled U.S. Army private, buzzes the White House with a stolen helicopter.
  • Feb 18 NASA launches Italian satellite San Marcos C-2 (235/843 km)
  • Feb 18 US ambassador to India Daniel Moynihan present $2,046,700,000 check

Pretzel Logic

Feb 20 ABC records releases "Pretzel Logic", the third studio album by rock band Steely Dan; it features hit single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"

Sports History

Feb 20 Gordie Howe comes out of retirement for $1M from Houston Aeros, WHA

  • Feb 21 Israeli forces leave western Suez
  • Feb 21 Silver hits record $5.96½ an ounce in London
  • Feb 21 Yugoslavia adopts constitution
  • Feb 22 Ethiopian police shoot at demonstrators

TV Show Appearance

Feb 23 Teri Garr appears on "The Bob Newhart Show" in the episode "Confessions of an Orthodontist"

  • Feb 24 Dutch speed skater Atje Keulen-Deelstra becomes Women's Allround World Champion at Heerenveen, Netherlands, her third consecutive title and fourth in 5 years
  • Feb 24 Pakistan officially recognizes Bangladesh
  • Feb 25 Veronica & Colin Scargill (England) begin tandem bicycle ride a record 18,020 miles around the world, completed on August 27, 1975
  • Feb 26 Gold hits record $188 an ounce in Paris
  • Feb 27 "People" magazine begins sales
  • Feb 27 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
  • Feb 28 Ethiopian government of Makonnen forms
  • Feb 28 Taiwan police shoots into crowd
  • Feb 28 UK general election results in a hung parliament
  • Feb 28 US & Egypt re-form diplomatic relations after 7 years
1974 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Feb 1 David Meca, Spanish open water swimmer (World C'ship gold 10k 2000, 25k 2005), born in Sabadell, Spain
  • Feb 1 Jennifer Lien, American actress (Hannah Moore-Another World), born in Palos Heights, Illinois
  • Feb 1 Roberto Heras, Spanish road cyclist (Vuelta a España 2000, 03, 04, 05 record), born in Béjar, Spain
  • Feb 3 Ayanna Pressley, American politician, (Rep-D-Mass) one of "The Squad", born in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Feb 4 Chris Ward, American NFL defensive end (Baltimore Ravens)
  • Feb 4 Mijntje Donners, Dutch field hockey forward (International Player of the Year, 2003; Olympics, 1996, 2000, 2004), born in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
  • Feb 5 Adrienne Johnson, American basketball guard, administrator, broadcaster (WNBA Cleveland Rockers; University of Louisville), born in Louisville, Kentucky
  • Feb 5 Omarosa Manigault Newman, American reality TV star & former political aide, born in Youngstown, Ohio
  • Feb 6 Olaf Lindenbergh, Dutch football player (Ajax, De Graafschap), born in Purmerend, Netherlands
  • Feb 7 Emma McLaughlin, American novelist
  • Feb 7 J Dilla [James Dewitt Yancey], American rapper and producer (Donuts), born in Detroit Michigan (d. 2006)

Steve Nash (50 years old)

Feb 7 Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame guard (NBA MVP 2005, 06; 8 × NBA All-Star; Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers) and coach (Brooklyn Nets), born in Johannesburg, South Africa

  • Feb 8 Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, French musician, singer-songwriter, and producer (Daft Punk - "Get Lucky"), born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
  • Feb 8 Kimbo Slice [Kevin Ferguson], American mixed martial artist, born in the Bahamas (d. 2016)
  • Feb 8 Seth Green, American actor and producer (Family Guy; Austin Powers), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Feb 8 Ulises de la Cruz, Ecuadorian footballer (LDU Quito; Aston Villa) and politician, born in Piquiucho, Ecuador
  • Feb 9 Amber Valletta, American actress and model (Hitch, Revenge), born in Phoenix, Arizona
  • Feb 9 Brad Maynard, punter (NY Giants)
  • Feb 9 Orlando Bobo, guard (Minnesota Vikings)
  • Feb 10 Andrew English, CFL receiver (BC Lions), born in Vancouver, British Columbia

Elizabeth Banks (50 years old)

Feb 10 American actress (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Man on a Ledge), born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

  • Feb 10 Ivri Lider, Israeli pop singer-songwriter (The Young Professionals), born in Givat Haim (Ihud), Israel
  • Feb 10 Lea Ghirardi-Rubbi, French tennis star (1994 Futures NC), born in Colombes, France
  • Feb 10 Tanoai Reed, American stunt performer, born in Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Feb 10 Ty Law, NFL cornerback (NE Patriots), born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania

Alex Jones (50 years old)

Feb 11 American radio host & conspiracy theorist (InfoWars, PrisonPlanet), born in Dallas, Texas

  • Feb 11 Brian Newman, American football guard (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), born in Houston, Texas
  • Feb 11 D'Angelo [Michael Eugene Archer], American singer, songwriter, and record producer, born in Richmond, Virginia
  • Feb 11 Jaroslav Špaček, Czech NHL defenseman (Team Czech Olympic gold 1998), born in Rokycany, Czechoslovakia
  • Feb 11 Zain Verjee, Kenyan-born journalist, born in Nairobi, Kenya
  • Feb 12 Fonzworth Bentley, US hip-hop artist, born in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Feb 12 Ian Mcintyre, Canadian NHL left wing (Vancouver Canucks), born in Montreal, Quebec
  • Feb 12 Toranosuke Takagi, Japanese auto racer (Japanese Formula Nippon 2000), born in Shizuoka, Japan
  • Feb 13 Gus Hansen, Danish poker player (3 x World Poker Tour open titles, WSOP bracelet 2010), born in Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Feb 13 Jeff Duran, US radio personality, born in Arcadia, California

Robbie Williams (50 years old)

Feb 13 English singer (Take That - "Back for Good"; solo - "Angels", "Feel", She's the One), born in Stoke-on-Trent, England

  • Feb 14 Filippa Giordano, Italian singer, born in Palermo, Italy
  • Feb 14 Philippe Léonard, Belgian footballer, born in Liège, Belgium
  • Feb 15 Alexander Wurz, Austrian racing driver, born in Waidhofen an der Thaya, Austria
  • Feb 15 Erik Schulz, US pairs skater (with partner Ilana Goldfogel), born in Port Huron, Michigan
  • Feb 15 Jodie McMullen, Miss Universe-Australia/Miss Congeniality (1996)
  • Feb 15 Miranda July, US performance artist, born in Barre, Vermont
  • Feb 15 Mr. Lordi [Tomi Petteri Putaansuu], Finnish singer (Lordi), born in Rovaniemi, Finland

Seattle Slew (1974-2002)

Feb 15 American racehorse (American Triple Crown 1977), born in White Horse Acres Farm, Texas

  • Feb 15 Tim Hall, US running back (Oakland Raiders), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1998)
  • Feb 15 Ugueth Urbina, Venezuelan pitcher (Montreal Expos), born in Caracas, Venezuela
  • Feb 16 Fanis Katergiannakis, Greek footballer
  • Feb 16 Jevon Langford, defensive end (Cincinnati Bengals)
  • Feb 16 Kathy McCormack, ice hockey forward (Canada, Olympic silver 1998)
  • Feb 16 Kimberly Whipkey, American pop singer (pcQuest - "Can't You See?"), born in Shawnee, Oklahoma

Mahershala Ali (50 years old)

Feb 16 American actor (Moonlight, Green Book), born in Oakland, California

  • Feb 17 Al-Muhtadee Billah, crown prince of Brunei, born in Bandar Seri Begawan
  • Feb 17 Bryan White, American country music singer-songwriter, born in Lawton, Oklahoma
  • Feb 17 Jerry O'Connell, American actor (Scream 2, Andrew-My Secret Identity), born in New York City
  • Feb 17 Kaoru [Niikura], Japanese rock guitarist and songwriter (Dir En Grey), born in Hyogo, Japan
  • Feb 18 Jillian Michaels, American fitness instructor and television personality (The Biggest Loser), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Feb 18 Ruby Dhalla, Canadian politician, born in Winnipeg, Canada
  • Feb 18 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Russian tennis player (French Open 1996, Australian Open 1999), born in Sochi, Russia
  • Feb 19 Danny Doring, American professional wrestler
  • Feb 20 Katerina Kroupova, Olomouc Czech, tennis star (1994 Futures-Sofia-BUL)
  • Feb 20 Ophelie Winter, French actress
  • Feb 21 Alexei Lojkin, Belarusian NHL forward (Belarus, Olympics 1998), born in Minsk, Belarus
  • Feb 21 Iván Campo, Spanish footballer, born in San Sebastián, Spain
  • Feb 21 Rohsaan Griffin, American 200m runner, born in Texas City, Texas
  • Feb 21 Wish Bone [Charles C. Scruggs], American rapper (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Feb 22 Aaron Gavey, Canadian NHL center (Tampa Bay Lightning), born in Greater Sudbury, Canada
  • Feb 22 Chris Moyles, English DJ, born in Leeds, United Kingdom
  • Feb 22 James Blunt, English singer-songwriter ("You're Beautiful"), born in Hampshire, England
  • Feb 22 Kyoko Nagatsuka, Japanese tennis star (1996 Hobart), born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
  • Feb 23 Herschelle Gibbs, South African cricketer (South African Test batsman 1996), born in Cape Town, South Africa
  • Feb 23 Kenyon Cotton, American football fullback (Baltimore Ravens), born in Bossier City, Louisiana
  • Feb 24 Bonnie Somerville, American actress (Grosse Point; Code Black). and singer, born in Brooklyn, NYC
  • Feb 24 Chad Hugo, American hip-hop musician and record producer (The Neptunes), born in Portsmouth, Virginia
  • Feb 24 Mike Lowell, Puerto Rican baseball player
  • Feb 24 Simeon Rice, American NFL defensive end (Super Bowl 2002, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 3-time Pro Bowl), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • Feb 25 Detron Smith, NFL running back (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl 32)
  • Feb 25 Divya Bharti, Indian actress who starred in Hindi and Telugu movies in the early 1990s (Shola Aur Shabnam, Deewana), born in Mumbai, Maharastra, India (d. 1993)
  • Feb 25 Tamarick Vanover, NFL wide receiver (KC Chiefs)
  • Feb 26 Sébastien Loeb, French rally driver, born in Haguenau, France
  • Feb 27 Chris Dishman, American football offensive lineman (Arizona Cardinals), born in Cozad, Nebraska
  • Feb 27 Jimmy Maher, Australian cricketer (Queensland lefty batsman victorious 1995 side), born in Innisfail, Australia
  • Feb 28 Katie Allen, Australian field hockey utility back (Olympic gold 2000; World Cup gold 1994; Champions Trophy gold 1995, 97, 2003), born in Adelaide, Australia
  • Feb 28 Kevin Abrams, cornerback (Detroit Lions)
  • Feb 28 Lee Carsley, Irish footballer
  • Feb 28 Michael Manasseri, actor (License to Drive)
Born in 1974

Famous Weddings

Julius Erving

Feb 10 NBA player Julius Erving (23) weds model Turquoise Brown at Waldorf

Mike Schmidt

Feb 16 MLB player Mike Schmidt (24) weds Donna Wightman

Jeb Bush

Feb 23 Future US Governor Jeb Bush (21) weds Columba Bush (20) in Austin, Texas


Famous Divorces

George Foreman

Feb 13 Professional boxer George Foreman (25) divorces Adrienne Calhoun after almost 3 years of marriage

Cher & Sonny Bono

Feb 20 American singer and actress Cher (27) files for separation from husband singer-songwriter Sonny Bono (38)


Famous Deaths

  • Feb 1 Lynda Ann Healy, 1st Bundy murder victim, abducted in Seattle at 22
  • Feb 2 Jean Absil, Belgian organist and composer (Benedictions; Peau d'Ane), dies at 80
  • Feb 4 Satyendra Nath Bose, Indian physicist (Bose–Einstein statistics), dies at 80
  • Feb 7 Arline Judge, American actress (Girls in Chains, Mad Wednesday, Age of Consent), dies at 61
  • Feb 8 Fern Andra [Vernal Andrews], American actress who worked in German silent cinema, dies at 80
  • Feb 8 Franz Weyergans, Belgian writer and translator (Les Gens Heureux), dies at 61
  • Feb 8 Fritz Zwicky, Swiss astronomer (supernova, dark matter), dies at 75
  • Feb 9 Cees de Lange, Dutch conferencier, dies at 60
  • Feb 11 Anna Q Nilsson, Swedish actress (Shenandoah; Uncle Tom's Cabin; Toll Gate; Sorrell & Son), dies at 85
  • Feb 14 Stewie Dempster, New Zealand cricket batsman (10 Tests, 2 x 100s; Wellington CA, Leicestershire CCC, Warwickshire CCC), dies at 70
  • Feb 15 Kurt Magnus Atterberg, Swedish composer, dies at 86
  • Feb 16 John Garand, Canadian rifle engineer and manufacturer (b. 1888)
  • Feb 20 David Monrad Johansen, Norwegian composer, dies at 85

Tim Horton (1930-1974)

Feb 21 Canadian ice hockey player and co-founder of the Tim Hortons restaurant chain, dies in a car crash at 44

  • Feb 22 Samuel Byck, American attempted assassin of Richard Nixon (b. 1930)
  • Feb 23 Dave Brown, Australian rugby league centre (9 Tests, 19 games NSW; Eastern Suburbs, Warrington; RL "Immortal") and coach (Eastern Suburbs), dies from cancer at 60
  • Feb 23 Florence Rice, American actress (Fast Company, Double Wedding, Riding on Air), dies from lung cancer at 67
  • Feb 23 Harry Ruby [Harry Rubenstein], American composer and screenwriter, dies at 79
  • Feb 25 Julian Dash, American swing jazz tenor saxophonist, and composer ("Tuxedo Junction"), dies at 67
  • Feb 28 Bobby Bloom, American singer-songwriter ("Montego Bay"), dies in a self-inflicting gun cleaning incident at 28
  • Feb 28 Mees Toxopeus, Dutch rescue-vessel captain, dies at 89