At A Glance

12 October 1973 at a glance

Day of the week
12 October 1973 was a Friday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Half-Breed” by Cher.
Top Film of 1973
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1973 was The Exorcist.
Bestselling Novel of 1973
“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1973.
Top-Rated TV Show
“All in the Family” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1973–74 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 12 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 12 October 1973 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 12 October 1973 was Full Moon.

On this day: 12 October

  • 1968 Equatorial Guinea becomes independent from Spain.
  • 1970 Vietnam War: Vietnamization continues as President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will withdraw 40,000 more troops before Christmas.
  • 1971 The 2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire begins.
  • 1973 President Nixon nominates House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford as the successor to Vice President Spiro T. Agnew.
  • 1977 Hua Guofeng succeeds Mao Zedong as paramount leader of China.

Famous people born on October 12

  • Hugh Jackman, Australian actor, singer, and producer (born 1968)
  • Edward VI, king of England (1537–1553)
  • Doris Miller, American cook and soldier (1919–1943)
  • Josh Hutcherson, American actor and producer (born 1992)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1973 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1973 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 22 – Roe v. Wade: The U.S. Supreme Court overturns state bans on abortion.
  • February 28 – The landmark postmodern novel Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon is published.
  • March 26 – TV soap opera The Young and the Restless and game show The $10,000 Pyramid debuts on CBS.

Life in the US in 1973

President

Richard Nixon

Gas (per gallon)

$0.40

Loaf of Bread

$0.27

Average House

$22,100

Weekly Wage

$165

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 →