At A Glance

31 December 1974 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 1974 was a Tuesday.
Irish Chart Song in 1974
The Irish chart song for 1974 was “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks.
Top Film of 1974
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1974 was The Towering Inferno.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1974 fell in the Year of the Tiger.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 1974 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 31 December

  • 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.
  • 1983 In Nigeria, a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic.

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 1974 in Ireland

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

  • 2 January – The Northern Ireland Executive began its first day in office.
  • 24 April – The Electricity Supply Board announced that Carnsore Point on the County Wexford coast would be the site of its planned nuclear power station (which, ultimately, was not built).
  • 21 May – The Ulster Workers' Council Strike in Northern Ireland came to an end.

Life in Ireland in 1974

Taoiseach

Liam Cosgrave

Petrol (per litre)

£0.48/gal

Loaf of Bread

£0.13

Average House

£10,000

Weekly Wage

£21

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 →