September 8, 1974:
The Watergate Scandal: President Gerald Ford pardons former President Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office.
November 5, 1974:
The Democrats make significant gains in the U.S. Congressional midterm elections, as voters punish the Republican Party over the Watergate Scandal.
November 20, 1974:
The United States Department of Justice files its final anti-trust suit against AT&T, which later leads to the break up of AT&T and the Bell system.
November 24, 1974:
A skeleton from the hominid species 'Authralopithecus afarensis' is discovered and named 'Lucy' (nicknamed after the Beatles song "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds").
December 19, 1974:
Former New York Governor Nelson Rockerfeller is sworn in as Vice President.
December 31, 1974:
Restrictions on holding private gold within the United States (implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933) are removed. January 1, 1975: The Watergate Scandal: John Mitchell, H. R. Halderman and John Ehrlichman are found guilty of the Watergate cover-up. January 6, 1975: 'Wheel Of Fortune' premieres on NBC. January 12, 1975: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX (played at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans - the Super Dome hadn't opened yet). January 29, 1975: The Weather Underground (also known as the Weatherman) bomb the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. (sometime in January, 1975:
The Altair 8800 iis released, sparking the era of the microcomputer (also hackers, viruses, spam and an assortment of things to make life easier).
February 21, 1975:
The Watergate Scandal: John Mitchell, H. R. Halderman and John Ehrlichman are sentenced to between 30 months and 8 years in prison.
February 23, 1975:
In response to the energy crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly 2 months early in the United States.
March 1, 1975:
Color television transmissions begin in Australia for the first time.
March 10, 1975:
'The Rocky Horror Show' opens on Broadway in New York City with 4 performances.
March 13, 1975:
The Vietnam War: South Vietnam President Nquyen van Thieu orders the Central Highlands evacuated. This turns into a mass exodus involving troops and civilians (the Convoy of Tears).
April 4, 1975:
Bill Gates founds Microsoft in Albuquerque, NM (anyone wish they had invested a few bucks at that time in his venture?).
April 30, 1975:
The Vietnam War (The Fall of Saigon): The war ends as Communist forces take Saigon, resulting in mass evacuation of Americans and South Vietnamese. As the capital is taken, South Vietnam surrenders unconditionally.
June 5, 1975:
The Suez Canal opens for the first time since the 'Six-Day War' (which ended on June 10, 1967).