The Nation 1974

Nixon Resigns

President Richard Nixon refuses to surrender the White House tapes subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee. Seven former White House officials are indicted for their role in the Watergate break-in and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. The Supreme Court unanimously orders President Richard Nixon to surrender the tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor. The "smoking gunn" tape of June 23, 1972 is played where Nixon and White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman discuss using the Central Intelligence Agency to block a Federal Bureau of Investigation inquiry into Watergate. Nixon's Republican support in Congress collapses and Barry Goldwater leads a Republican group to the White House to tell Nixon he lacks the votes to escape impeachment. On August 8th 1974 Richard Nixon resigns the Presidency.

The Sixties come to end with the words...Our long national nightmare is over

One month later President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office keeping THE CROOK out of jail.

19 year old Patricia Hearst - granddaughter of publishing giant William Randolph Hearst is kidnapped by the Left-wing Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and ransomed for $4 million. Hearst is photographed with a machine gun robbing the Hibernia National Bank in San Francisco with members of the SLA. Police raid their hideout killing 6 members and capturing Hearst. The Patty Hearst Kidnapping at Super70's

The mother of Martin Luther King Jr, Alberta Christine Williams King was shot to death on June 30, 1974 by Marcus Wayne Chenault while she played the organ at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Chenault, a deranged black man from Ohio said he did so because "all Christians are my enemies." Time Magazine Story on Alberta King

The Super Outbreak, the largest series of tornadoes in history hits 13 U.S. states and one Canadian province. 149 tornadoes hit early the following morning with, 315 fatalities. Super Outbreak 1974

"The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries raised the price of oil until it reached unprecedented and numbing heights. The producing nations' "take" from a barrel of oil, less than $1 at the start of the decade, was lifted from $1.99 before the Arab-Israeli war 15 months ago to $3.44 at the end of 1973 to more than $10 at the end of 1974. The result is the greatest and swiftest transfer of wealth in all history." King Faisal Time Cover Story From 1974

The World 1974

Oil embargo crisis: In response to America, Japan and Western Europe support of Isreal in the 1973 Yon Kipper War, The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) set a 5 month oil embargo ending in March 1974. It created the worst recession since the Great Depression and slows us down on the highways from 75mph to 55mph. Second Arab Oil Embargo, 1973-1974

After the death of President Juan Peron, his wife and Vice President Isabel Peron becomes the president of Argentina, the first female president in South America. She was deposed by a Right-wing Military coup in 1976. Maria Estela Isabel Martinez de Peron BBC bio

29 years after the end of World War 2 Japanese soldier 2nd Lt Hiroo Onada surrendered in the Philippines. Hiroo only agreed to surrender after being found by Japanese student Norio Suzuki who brought Onada's one time Commander to give him oral orders to surrender. 2nd Lt. Hiroo Onoda

The Rosenkowitz sextuplets in Cape Town, South Africa are the first sextuplets known to survive infancy

Nobel prizes 1974

Physics - Sir Martin Ryle, Antony Hewish
Chemistry - Paul J. Flory
Medicine - Albert Claude, Christian de Duve, George E. Palade
Literature - Eyvind Johnson, Harry Martinson
Peace - Séan MacBride, Eisaku Sato
Economics - Gunnar Myrdal, Friedrich von Hayek

The Class of 1974