The year I was born

this is what the COST OF LIVING was during the year of my birth


for 1 Gallon of GAS  it was only  $0.55
 WE will NEVER see this again during MY LIFETIME
Cost of Living 1974
How Much things cost in 1974
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 11.3%
Yearly Inflation Rate UK 17.2%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 616
Average Cost of new house $34,900.00
Average Income per year $13,900.00
Average Monthly Rent $185.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 55 cents
Average cost new car$3,750.00
Samsonite Case $62.00
Average House Price 10,990
Gallon of Petrol 0.42

What Events Happened in 1974

U.S.
Richard Nixonbecomes the first US president forced to resign after the Watergate Scandal President Gerald Ford gives unconditional pardon to Richard Nixon
A major US Bank Franklin National Bank is declared insolvent
Sears Tower in Chicago becomes the worlds tallest building 55 MPH Speed Limit imposed to preserve gas usage US widePresident Ford announces an amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft evaders Patricia Hearst Kidnappers Demand $70 of food be given to every needy Californian
In response to the energy crisis, daylight saving timecommences nearly four months early in the United States.. The largest series of tornadoesin history, hits 13 U.S. states and one Canadian province. By the time the last of 148 tornadoeshit early the following morning, 315 died and over 5,000 were injured
Work begins on the 800 mile long Alaska Oil pipeline

UK
IRA begins bombing campaign on mainland Britainand bombs The Tower of London on July 17th and the Houses of parliament and pubs in Birmingham

Australia 
The Brisbane river floods large areas of the Brisbane business district and more than 8,500 homes were flooded in Brisbane and Ipswich.
World
Worldwide Inflationhelps to cause dramatic increases in the cost of fuel, food and manufacturing

World
The Global Recession Deepens
Gasoline shortages and price increases throughout the world help to cause problems in most of the western worlds economies
Governments and people around the world spend more time debating the use of Nuclear Energy to combat problems with Oil Prices and Supply
Estimate of The Worlds Populationreaches 4 billion

India
Smallpox Epidemic in India causes the deaths of between 10,000 and 20,000 people

Syria
Henry Kissenger convinces Syria and Israel agree to a ceasefire on the Golan Heights

Cyprus
Turkey Invades Northern Cyprus


France
Charles de Gaulle Airportopens in Paris, France.

UK
British Coal Miners join many other unions striking for higher wages

India
India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon becoming the sixth nation to do so.

Australia
Cyclone Tracy strikes on 25th December almost completely destroys Darwin, Australia
World

• Famine caused by drought threatens millions in Africa

France
The French President Georges Pompidou dies while in Office

Northern Ireland
Following a crippling strike, Northern Ireland's first power-sharing assembly collapses

Portugal
Bloodless Military coup led by General Antoniio de Spinola, in Portugal

Argentina
President Isabela Peron ( Evita ), Juan Peron's third wife, becomes President of Argentina when her husband died.

Germany
West Germany Wins 1974 World Cup in West Germany

Russia
Soviet authorities expel Alexander Solzhenitsyn revoking his Russian citizenship

Major World Political Leaders 1974

Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam Brazilian President Emilio Medici Till 15 March
Brazilian President Ernesto Geisel From 15 March

Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau Chinese Chairman of the People's Republic of China Dong Biwu French President Georges Pompidou Till 3 April
French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing From 27 May

German Chancellor Willy Brandt Till 7 May
German Chancellor Walter Scheel From 7 May
German Chancellor Walter Scheel Till 16 May
German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt From 16 May
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Italian Prime Minister Mariano Rumor Till 23 November
Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro From 23 November
Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka Till 9 December
Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki From 9 December

Mexican President Luis Echeverría Russian / Soviet Union First Secretary of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev South African Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes Vorster United States President Richard Nixon Till August 9,
United States PresidentGerald Ford From August 9,
United Kingdom Prime Minister Edward Heath Till 4 March
United Kingdom Prime Minister Harold Wilson From 4 March

1974 The Rubik's Cube

350 million cubes have sold worldwide making it the world's top-selling puzzle game. It is widely considered to be the world's best-selling toy

Technology

• MRI Scanner( Magnetic Resonance Imaging } developed USA
• Australopithecus afarensis was discovered in Ethiopia and is a hominid which lived between 3.9 to 3 million years ago belonging to the genus Australopithecus, They named the skeleton "Lucy"
• After 84 days in space, the last crew of the temporary American space station Skylab return to Earth
• Pocket calculators start to appear in shops
• Offices start using a very primitive word processor that resembles a typewriter
• Lucy an almost complete hominid skeleton over 3 million years old is discovered in Africa
• The first use of UPC or Universal product Code BAR CODE UPC scanner installed in Marshes Supermarket in Troy Ohio ( check 1952 for first bar code use not UPC ) or the standard used today

 Popular Films

• The Sting
• The Exorcist
• Papillon
• Herbie Rides Again
• Blazing Saddles
• The Great Gatsby
• Serpico
• Death Wish
• The Godfather, Part II
• Murder on the Orient Express

Popular TV Programmes

• Kung Fu
• The Price Is Right
• The Waltons
• Kojak
• Last of the Summer Wine
• The Six Million Dollar Man

To find more prices and information for the 70's including 1974
1970s Music The 1970s created a perfect musical bridge from the rebelliousness of the 1960s and the happy songs that are characteristic of the 1980s. Following the counterculture of the 60s, the 70s created a trend of relaxing music as well as dance music. People may have grown tired of the fighting that happened the previous decade and many of them sought a refuge in dance clubs and other places to enjoy a good time. Out of this idea emerged the Disco movement. Of course, there was still the bands and artists that continued to speak of the ills of society, typically characterized by the punk music of the era. But it seemed to be a much happier era than the 60s proved to be.
If ever a musical style defined a decade, Disco was the definition of the 1970s. Although its popularity was relatively short-lived, it created a great deal of songs and artists that people are still dancing to today. Van McCoy’s “The Hustle” has often been referred to as the definitive disco track and many people say it was the first disco song created. Gloria Gaynor also enjoyed disco popularity with her anthem – “I Will Survive.” The Bee Gees also helped to define the disco genre with their hit “Jive Talkin’.” Their blockbuster “Stayin’ Alive” is often synonymous with the disco musical era. The Village People’s “YMCA” and “Macho Man” also helped to add to the popularity of this popular style. Unfortunately, it did not take long for the public to see disco’s silliness and commercialization – something that they had just rebelled against a few years earlier. Its lack of attention to musical significance helped add to its downfall after only a short time of popularity.

Progressive rock was another popular genre during the 1970s. This type of music was typically characterized by rock music combined with another genre, such as classical or opera, to create a hybrid genre, so to speak. Songs from this genre were often longer and bands tended to be more spontaneous and experimental while they were playing live. Many progressive rock albums were also “concept albums,” meaning that they followed a theme throughout the entire album or series of albums. Pink Floyd was great at doing this. Their concept album – The Wall – was a psychedelic album that explored the loneliness that one feels due to the metaphorical walls that they build up around them. This 1979 album used philosophical lyrics and a variety of musical styles throughout the songs to exhibit the message that they were trying to get across to the listeners. “Another Brick in the Wall” was one of the most popular songs to emerge from this album and the band as a whole.
Jethro Tull was a British rock band that also created concept albums for their audience. They had a unique vocal style combined with the dreamlike sound of a flute to help the listener immerse themselves into the songs that are being played. Their “Thick as a Brick” album was composed of essentially one track on two side of the album. This track consisted of repeating themes and movements that helped to mesmerize the listener. They also used a variety of genres to create their one-of-a-kind sound, including blues, jazz, rock, and classical music.
The punk rock genre also emerged in the 1970s. This was a style that continued on the legacy of the 1960s but with a more upbeat and harder style. Heavy guitar riffs and more decibels helped to motivate those who were still upset about the status quo in the country. The Ramones are often referred to as the original punk band. This band consisted of a group of family members that based their image on The Beatles but their music was much harder. On the lists that rate the greatest rock bands of all-time, The Ramones are often listed as #2, behind only The Beatles at #1. Their song “I Wanna Be Sedated” became a generational anthem depicting the feeling that society is so screwed up that the only way to get through life with your sanity is to be sedated for the entire experience. The Sex Pistols also enjoyed a short-lived success as a punk rock band of the 1970s. Band members heavily used drugs and alcohol which eventually led to their dissolution shortly after forming, but not before releasing two hit albums (“God Save the Queen” and “Never Mind the Bullocks”) that created a wave of rebellion throughout the United States and the UK.
Although the rebellious idea had died down shortly following Woodstock in 1969, there were still many people that disagreed with the establishment and the way the country was being run. Most people, though, were just looking for another way to vent their frustrations, which helped to give rise to the fun that disco music provided. The 1970s was not a unique decade in terms of creating innovations in musical styles and genres, but it was unique in that it was a musical bridge connecting the hippie lifestyle of the 1960s with the characteristic yuppie lifestyle that was about to occur in the 1980s.
Below are some of the popular artists and groups from the 1970's
Were you lucky enough to see them live in concert
Aerosmith
Alice Cooper
Bee Gees
Black Sabbath
Blondie
Bob Dylan
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Boomtown Rats
Bruce Springsteen
Chicago
Commodores
David Bowie
Elton John
Gloria Gaynor
Ike & Tina Turner
James Taylor
Janis Joplin
Jefferson Starship
John Lennon
Kiss
Led Zeppelin
Marvin Gaye
Michael Jackson
Minnie Riperton
Mungo Jerry
Paul McCartney & Wings
Paul Simon
Pink Floyd
Queen
Rod Stewart
The Doors
The Eagles
The Jackson 5
The Osmonds
The Police
The Rolling Stones
The Who
Village People
ZZ Top


references the internet & The People History Where People Memories and History Join