At A Glance

26 July 1974 at a glance

Day of the week
26 July 1974 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Rock Your Baby” by George McCrae.
Top Film of 1974
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1974 was The Towering Inferno.
Star sign
The star sign for 26 July is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 July 1974 fell in the Year of the Tiger.
Birthstone
The birthstone for July is Ruby.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 July 1974 was First Quarter.

On this day: 26 July

  • 1963 Syncom 2, the world's first geosynchronous satellite, is launched from Cape Canaveral on a Delta B booster.
  • 1968 Vietnam War: South Vietnamese opposition leader Trương Đình Dzu is sentenced to five years hard labor for advocating the formation of a coalition government as a way to move toward an end to the war.
  • 1971 Apollo program: Launch of Apollo 15 on the first Apollo "J-Mission", and first use of a Lunar Roving Vehicle.
  • 1974 Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis forms the country's first civil government after seven years of military rule.
  • 1977 The National Assembly of Quebec imposes the use of French as the official language of the provincial government.

Famous people born on 26 July

  • Sandra Bullock, American actress and producer (born 1964)
  • Jason Statham, English actor (born 1967)
  • Kate Beckinsale, English actress (born 1973)
  • Helen Mirren, English actress (born 1945)

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

Harold Wilson

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 →