At A Glance

26 January 1974 at a glance

Day of the week
26 January 1974 was a Saturday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Tiger Feet” by Mud.
Top Film of 1974
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1974 was The Towering Inferno.
Star sign
The star sign for 26 January is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 January 1974 fell in the Year of the Tiger.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 January 1974 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 26 January

  • 1956 Soviet Union cedes Porkkala back to Finland.
  • 1959 The 41-acre (17 ha) Chain Island is listed for sale by the California State Lands Commission, with a minimum bid of $5,226.
  • 1962 Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later misses the Moon by 22,000 miles (35,400 km).
  • 1986 The Ugandan government of Tito Okello is overthrown by the National Resistance Army, led by Yoweri Museveni.
  • 1991 Mohamed Siad Barre is removed from power in Somalia, ending centralized government, and is succeeded by Ali Mahdi.

Famous people born on 26 January

  • José Mourinho, Portuguese footballer and manager (born 1963)
  • Paul Newman, American actor, activist, director, race car driver, and businessman, co-founded Newman's Own (1925–2008)
  • Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian, actress, and talk show host (born 1958)
  • Ester Expósito, Spanish actress (born 2000)

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.

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

Famous Faces Born in the 1970s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

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 →