At A Glance

17 February 1974 at a glance

Day of the week
17 February 1974 was a Sunday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Devil Gate Drive” by Suzi Quatro.
Top Film of 1974
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1974 was The Towering Inferno.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 February is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 February 1974 fell in the Year of the Tiger.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 February 1974 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 17 February

  • 1965 Project Ranger: The Ranger 8 probe launches on its mission to photograph the Mare Tranquillitatis region of the Moon in preparation for the crewed Apollo missions. Mare Tranquillitatis or the "Sea of Tranquility" would become the site chosen for the Apollo 11 lunar landing.
  • 1972 Cumulative sales of the Volkswagen Beetle exceed those of the Ford Model T.
  • 1974 Robert K. Preston, a disgruntled U.S. Army private, buzzes the White House in a stolen helicopter.
  • 1979 The Sino-Vietnamese War begins.
  • 1980 First winter ascent of Mount Everest by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.

Famous people born on 17 February

  • Case Keenum, American football player (born 1988)
  • Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1991)
  • Michael Jordan, American basketball player, executive, and businessman (born 1963)
  • Jensen Huang, Taiwanese-American businessman, co-founded Nvidia (born 1963)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1974 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1974 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 1 January – 7 March – The Three-Day Week is introduced by the Conservative Government as a measure to conserve electricity during the period of industrial action by coal miners.
  • 7 February – Grenada becomes independent of the United Kingdom.
  • 28 February – The general election results in the first hung parliament since 1929, with the Conservative government having 297 seats – four fewer than Labour, who have 301 – and the largest number of votes.
More events of 1974 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1974

Prime Minister

Edward Heath

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

22p

Loaf of Bread

14p

Average House

£10,990

Weekly Wage

£48.50

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.

Matthew Rhys8 November 1974ActorView their day →Hannah Waddingham28 July 1974ActressView their day →Andy Burnham7 January 1970PoliticianView their day →Christopher Nolan30 July 1970FilmmakerView their day →Lucy Davis17 February 1973ActressView their day →Tom Hardy15 September 1977ActorView their day →Christian Bale30 January 1974ActorView their day →Kelly Macdonald23 February 1976ActressView 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 →