At A Glance

5 January 1974 at a glance

Day of the week
5 January 1974 was a Saturday.
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 1974
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1974 was The Towering Inferno.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 January 1974 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 January 1974 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 5 January

  • 1967 Cultural Revolution: The Shanghai People's Commune is established following the seizure of power from local city officials by revolutionaries.
  • 1968 Alexander Dubček comes to power in Czechoslovakia, effectively beginning the "Prague Spring".
  • 1969 The Venera 5 space probe is launched at 06:28:08 UTC from Baikonur.
  • 1972 US President Richard Nixon announces the Space Shuttle program.
  • 1976 The Khmer Rouge announce that the new Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea is ratified.

Famous people born on 5 January

  • Suki Waterhouse, English actress, singer-songwriter, and model (born 1992)
  • Vinnie Jones, British footballer and actor (born 1965)
  • Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman (1946–2025)
  • Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer (born 1975)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1974 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1974 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 24 January – Cyclone Wanda makes landfall near Double Island Point. Large parts of South East Queensland, particularly Brisbane, and northern New South Wales are flooded.
  • 26 February – Mungo Man, a human skeleton estimated to be 40,000 years old, uncovered at Lake Mungo
  • 25 March – The Liberal Party led by Charles Court wins the 1974 Western Australian state election.
More events of 1974 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Australia in 1974

Prime Minister

Gough Whitlam

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.09

Loaf of Bread

$0.31

Average House

$22,000

Weekly Wage

$110.00

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

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)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →