UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
31 December 1973 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 31 December 1973 was a Monday.
- Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
- “Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)” by Helen Reddy was No. 1 on David Kent's retrospective Australian chart. This chart was compiled later by David Kent from radio station charts.
- Top Film of 1973
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1973 was The Exorcist.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1973 fell in the Year of the Ox.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 31 December 1973 was Waxing Crescent.
On this day: 31 December
- 1965 Jean-Bédel Bokassa, leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers begin a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
- 1968 The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world.
- 1981 A coup d'état in Ghana removes President Hilla Limann's PNP government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.
- 1983 The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.
- 1983 Benjamin Ward is appointed New York City Police Department's first ever African American police commissioner.
Famous people born on 31 December
- Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
- Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
- Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
- Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1973 in Australia
A selection from Wikipedia's '1973 in Australia'. Not a complete list.
- 10 February – Australia's first casino, the Wrest Point Hotel Casino, opens in Hobart
- 28 February – The federal voting age is lowered from 21 to 18. The state of New South Wales had already enacted such a change in 1970.
- 2 March – Wellington Street bus station in Perth is opened by Western Australia's premier John Tonkin
Life in Australia in 1973
Prime Minister
Gough Whitlam
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Petrol (per litre)
$0.08
Loaf of Bread
$0.27
Average House
$18,500
Weekly Wage
$90.00
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Famous Faces Born in the 1970s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Heath Ledger4 April 1979ActorView their day →Patrick Brammall30 March 1976ActorView their day →Rose Byrne24 July 1979ActressView their day →Isla Fisher3 February 1976Actress & authorView their day →Sam Worthington2 August 1976ActorView their day →Toni Collette1 November 1972Actress & musicianView their day →Joel Edgerton23 June 1974ActorView their day →Natalie Imbruglia4 February 1975Singer & actressView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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