Born Edition

The almanac

The 1974 Edition

Limited to about 123 million copies: the babies born worldwide in 1974. About 93 million are still in circulation.

Estimates from the UN World Population Prospects 2024. How we count

What happened in 1974

  • Happy Days premieres on ABCThe nostalgic sitcom began a run of 256 episodes that lasted into 1984.January · Source: Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews
  • Skylab crew sets space endurance recordThree NASA astronauts splashed down after the longest stay in space at that time.February 8 · Source: BBC On This Day
  • ABBA wins Eurovision with WaterlooThe Swedish group won in Brighton, England, and the song topped charts in several countries.April 6 · Source: LBC
  • Hank Aaron hits home run 715The Atlanta Braves slugger passed Babe Ruth on baseball's all-time home run list.April 8 · Source: National Baseball Hall of Fame
  • First barcode scanned at a checkoutA pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum was scanned at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio.June 26 · Source: IBM
  • Ali wins the Rumble in the JungleMuhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in the eighth round in Kinshasa, Zaire.October 30 · Source: SBS News
  • Lucy fossil found in EthiopiaScientists found much of a 3.2 million-year-old skeleton of an early human ancestor.November 24 · Source: Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University

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Famous people born in 1974

  • AnggunIndonesian-born French singer-songwriter and television personality · born April 29
  • Leonardo DiCaprioAmerican actor and producer · born November 11
  • Penélope CruzSpanish actress · born April 28
  • Christian BaleAmerican-English actor · born January 30
  • Amy AdamsAmerican actress · born August 20
  • Victoria BeckhamEnglish businesswoman, fashion designer and singer · born April 17
  • Hilary SwankAmerican actress · born July 30
  • Joaquin PhoenixAmerican actor · born October 28

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages write about them. Spotted a mistake?

No. 1 songs of 1974

  • Time In A BottleJim Croce · first week at No. 1: January 5, 1974
  • The JokerThe Steve Miller Band · first week at No. 1: January 12, 1974
  • Show And TellAl Wilson · first week at No. 1: January 19, 1974
  • You're SixteenRingo Starr · first week at No. 1: January 26, 1974
  • The Way We WereBarbra Streisand · first week at No. 1: February 2, 1974
  • Love's ThemeLove Unlimited Orchestra · first week at No. 1: February 9, 1974
  • Seasons In The SunTerry Jacks · first week at No. 1: March 2, 1974
  • Dark LadyCher · first week at No. 1: March 23, 1974
  • Sunshine On My ShouldersJohn Denver · first week at No. 1: March 30, 1974
  • Hooked On A FeelingBlue Swede · first week at No. 1: April 6, 1974
  • Bennie And The JetsElton John · first week at No. 1: April 13, 1974
  • TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia)MFSB Featuring The Three Degrees · first week at No. 1: April 20, 1974
  • The Loco-MotionGrand Funk · first week at No. 1: May 4, 1974
  • The StreakRay Stevens · first week at No. 1: May 18, 1974
  • Band On The RunPaul McCartney And Wings · first week at No. 1: June 8, 1974
  • Billy, Don't Be A HeroBo Donaldson And The Heywoods · first week at No. 1: June 15, 1974
  • SundownGordon Lightfoot · first week at No. 1: June 29, 1974
  • Rock The BoatThe Hues Corporation · first week at No. 1: July 6, 1974
  • Rock Your BabyGeorge McCrae · first week at No. 1: July 13, 1974
  • Annie's SongJohn Denver · first week at No. 1: July 27, 1974
  • Feel Like Makin' LoveRoberta Flack · first week at No. 1: August 10, 1974
  • The Night Chicago DiedPaper Lace · first week at No. 1: August 17, 1974
  • (You're) Having My BabyPaul Anka with Odia Coates · first week at No. 1: August 24, 1974
  • I Shot The SheriffEric Clapton · first week at No. 1: September 14, 1974
  • Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, BabeBarry White · first week at No. 1: September 21, 1974
  • Rock Me GentlyAndy Kim · first week at No. 1: September 28, 1974
  • I Honestly Love YouOlivia Newton-John · first week at No. 1: October 5, 1974
  • Nothing From NothingBilly Preston · first week at No. 1: October 19, 1974
  • Then Came YouDionne Warwicke & Spinners · first week at No. 1: October 26, 1974
  • You Haven't Done NothinStevie Wonder · first week at No. 1: November 2, 1974
  • You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet/Free Wheelin'Bachman-Turner Overdrive · first week at No. 1: November 9, 1974
  • Whatever Gets You Thru The NightJohn Lennon With The Plastic Ono Nuclear Band · first week at No. 1: November 16, 1974
  • I Can HelpBilly Swan · first week at No. 1: November 23, 1974
  • Kung Fu FightingCarl Douglas · first week at No. 1: December 7, 1974
  • Cat's In The CradleHarry Chapin · first week at No. 1: December 21, 1974
  • Angie BabyHelen Reddy · first week at No. 1: December 28, 1974

Billboard Hot 100, chart weeks of 1974. Spotted a mistake?

If you were born in 1974

  • Older than MicrosoftBill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 4, 1975.
  • Older than Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live premiered on NBC (then titled NBC's Saturday Night) on October 11, 1975.
  • Older than Concorde flightsConcorde made its first commercial passenger flights on January 21, 1976.
  • Older than AppleApple was founded on April 1, 1976.
  • Younger than the handheld cell phoneMotorola's Martin Cooper showed the first handheld cellular phone in public, on a New York street on April 3, 1973.
  • Younger than Walt Disney WorldWalt Disney World opened in Florida, with the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971.
  • Younger than Earth DayThe first Earth Day was held across the United States on April 22, 1970.

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Born in 1974? Add your birthday for your number and your card