1973

1973
Great Britain joined the EEC. The first episode of Inigo Pipkin broadcast on Thames.
Mike Vardy's adaptation of Man At The Top - starring Kenneth Haigh, Nanette Newman and Harry Andrews - premiered.
Britain, Ireland and Denmark's entry into the EEC was celebrated with a football match - The Three versus The Six - at Wembley. Norwich City completed a three-nil aggregate win over Chelsea in the Football League Cup Semi-Final. Big-spending Crystal Palace signed Derek Possee from Millwall fror one hundred and eighteen thousand knicker. Ronnie Baxter's adaptation of Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width - starring John Bluthal, Joe Lynch and Yootha Joyce - premiered.

The first episode of Last Of The Summer Wine broadcast as part of the Comedy Playhouse strand. And it went on and on and on. And on. David Bowie & The Spiders From Mars performed The Jean Genie live on Top Of The Pops, introduced by disgraceful old rotter Jimmy Savile. The Strawbs' 'Part Of The Union'/'Will You Go?' released. India won the second test at Calcutta by twenty eight runs. Tony Greig appeared to be taking England to victory until Bishan Bedi produced a devastating spell of five wickets to rip the guts out of England's middle order. Earlier, Farokh Engineer had top-scored for India with seventy five. Chris Old made his test debut. Sunderland signed Ron Guthrie and David young from local rivals Newcastle united for a joint fee of sixty thousand pounds. Both would end the season with FA Cup winners medals.
The first episode of Teddy Edward broadcast. The Sweet's 'Block Buster!'/'Need A Lot Of Lovin', Fanny's 'Summer Song'/'Borrowed Time', Bread's 'Sweet Surrender'/'Make It By Yourself' and The Temptations' 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone'/'Instrumental' released. Peter Sasdy's Nothing But The Night premiered.
The first appearance of Omega in Doctor Who.
The Death Of Adolf Hitler broadcast on LWT.
Peter Terson's Shakespeare - Or Bust broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. The first episode of Fish broadcast.
The first episode of TV's finest ever sitcom, Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? broadcast. The first episode of Leap In The Dark broadcast on BBC2.
Manchester United paid Shrewsbury Town eighty thousand quid for centre-half Big Jim Holton.
Stealer's Wheel appeared in session on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies.
Norman Cohen's adaptation of Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall - starring Jim Dale, Arthur Lowe, Tony Selby, Geoffrey Hughes, Windsor Davies, Spike Milligan and Pat Coombs - premiered. Sidney Lumet's The Offence - starring Sean Connery, Trevor Howard, Vivien Merchant and Ian Bannen - premiered.
The Electric Light Orchestra's 'Roll Over Beethoven'/'Manhattan Rumble (Forty Ninth Street Massacre)', Neu!2, Janie & The Marlettes's 'Schoolgirl Notion'/'My Heart Cries Out For You', Steely Dan's 'Do It Again'/'Fire In The Hole', Gary Glitter's 'Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah!)'/'I Would If I Could But I Can't', Alice Cooper's 'Hello Hurray'/'Generation Landslide', Elton John's 'Daniel'/'Skyline Pigeon', Jackie Lee's 'Inigo Pipkin'/'End Of Rainbow' and Free's Heartbreaker released.
The first episode of Woodstock broadcast. Elvis Presley's concert Aloha From Hawaii was the first 'worldwide' telecast by an entertainer. However, it was not shown in in the UK until Monday 5 March 1978. By which time the star was, you know, somewhat dead.
Alan Plater's Land Of Green Ginger broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. The first episode of Alice Through The Looking Glass and the World In Action episode The Cut-Price Society Of Sidney Carter broadcast on Thames.
The first episode of Times Rememebered broadcast on BBC2. John Harris's Playthings broadcast as part of BBC2's Thirty Minute Theatre strand. India won the third test at Madras. Keith Fletcher had scored ninety seven in England's first innings and Mike Denness seventy six in the second but, again, India's spinners restricted the totals in both and, despite Pat Pocock taking eight wickets, India made their target of eighty six for the loss of six wickets. Manchester United signed Mick Martin and Gerry Daly from Bohemians of Dublin for a combined fee of fifty thousand quid after both impressed manager Tommy Docherty in a friendly. The first episode of Whose Baby? broadcast on Thames.
Noddy Holder appeared on the Behaviour & Belief episode Do You Believe In Rock & Roll on BBC2. NF Simpson's Elementary My Dear Watson - with John Cleese and Willie Rushton - broadcast as part of the Comedy Playhouse strand. Both Alan Hull's debut session ('The Miller's Song ', 'Money Game', 'Numbers', 'Tynemouth Song', 'Country Gentlemen's Wife') and Lindisfarne ( 'Oh No, Not Again', 'Train In G Major', 'Uncle Sam', 'Court In The Act') featured on John Peel's Sounds Of The Seventies. Manchester United's spending-spree continued, with the purchase of Scottish international Lou Macari from Glasgow Celtic for two hundred thousand kicker.
Roy Castle broke the world's fastest tap-dance record on an episode of The Record Breakers. That was dedication. Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'/'You've Got It Bad Girl', The Real Thing's 'Plastic Man'/'Check It Out', Tony Hazzard's 'I Think I'm Getting Over You'/'Paul McCartney', Stealers Wheel's 'You Put Something (Better Inside Me)'/'Next To Me', Tina Harvey's 'Nowhere To Run'/'Tina's Second Song', The Sharpees' 'Do The Forty Five'/'Make Up Your Mind', Bob Marley & The Wailers's 'Baby Baby We've Got A Date'/'Stop That Train' and Chuck Berry's 'Reelin' & Rockin'/'I Will Not Let You Go' released. Mark Haggard's The All-American Girl - starring Peggy Church, Alan Abelew and Andy Mitchell - premiered.
The first UK TV showing of Alan Bridges' Invasion. Elton John's 'Daniel'/'Skyline Pigeon' released.
In one of the least likely bookings ever, Slade appeared on the BBC2 variety show They Sold A Million hosted by Vince Hill and also featuring Jack Jones and The Younger Generation. The first UK TV showing of Casablanca in the All Time Greats strand. The UFO episode Ordeal broadcast on LWT.
Colin Welland's Kisses At Fifty broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. The US supreme Court upheld Roe Versus Wade. George Foreman defeated Joe Frazier in Jamaica to win the heavyweight world boxing championship. Big George knocked Smokin' Joe's ass down six times in the first two rounds before the bout was stopped. The World In Action episode How Safe Are American Nuclear Reactors? broadcast.
President Nixon announced that a peace accord has been reached in Vietnam.
Tom Woodall's Is Nellie Dead? broadcast as part of BBC2's Thirty Minute Theatre strand. England, in a very disappointing performance, drew one-all with Wales in a World Cup Qualifier at Wembley. John Toshack gave the visitors the lead before Norman Hunter equalised.
The first episode of Whoops Baghdad! broadcast. The actor Derren Nesbitt was fined two hundred and fifty quid when he pleaded guilty to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his wife, Anne Aubrey, in October the previous year. He admitted thrashing her with a leather strap after she told him that she was having an affair. Ralph Thomas's The Love Ban - starring Hywel Bennett, Nanette Newman, Angharad Rees and John Cleese - premiered. Richard & Linda Thompson apeared in session on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies.
Elton John's Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player, Neil Sedaka's 'That's When The Music Takes Me'/'Don't Let It Mess Your Mind', Judee Sill's 'The Kiss'/'Down Where The Valleys Are Low', Fairport Convention's 'Rosie'/'Knights Of The Road', Mud's 'Crazy'/'Do You Love Me' and T-Rex's Tanx released.
Gareth Edwards scored that try for The Barbarians against The All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park and Cliff Morgan went totally off it. In one of the greatest games of rugby ever played, a strong Barbarians side, featuring the cream of the four home countries, defeated the powerful New Zeland XV by twenty three points to eleven. The Barbarians kicked-off towards the River Taff end and the opening exchanges were dominated by back-and-forth kicks, with JPR Williams and Mike Gibson giving The Barbarians good field position inside the New Zealand half. After All Blacks winger Bryan Williams kicked deep into Barbarian territory; Phil Bennett recovered possession near his goal-line and started upfield, outrageously sidestepping past three tackles. Bennett passed to JPR Williams, who managed to offload the ball just as Bryan Williams tackled him around the neck. Still deep in Barbarians territory, the ball then passed through four pairs of hands (John Pullin, John Dawes, Tom David and Derek Quinnell) before Gareth Edwards, slipping between two team-mates and taking the last pass, finished with a dramatic diving try in the left-hand corner, twenty two seconds after Bennett picked up the ball. Later, David Duckham, starting inside his own twenty five-yard line, evaded three All Black defenders with successive side-steps to release David, Fergus Slattery and Willie John McBride in succession, until New Zealand flanker Scown thwarted what seemed a certain try for Bevan. After a clearing kick by Sid Going, Duckham produced the second of his swashbuckling runs, beating five All Black defenders - including a dummy on Ian Hurst that even fooled the cameraman - setting up a superb move which ended with Slattery throwing a one-handed, over-the-head pass to Dawes who scored in the corner, only for Slattery's pass to be adjudged as having gone forward. However, from the ensuing scrum, pressure from Edwards forced Going to fumble the ball, which allowed Slattery to go over for The Barbarians'. Bevan and Williams added second-half tries (the latter after another outstanding move which involved all fifteen of The Barbarians side) and Bennett kicked two conversions and a penalty. Grant Batty replied with two tries for the All Blacks. Sunderland's two-nil victory over Millwall featured the debut of recent thirty five thousand pound signing for Crystal Palace John Hughes. However, a knee injury suffered late in the game ultimately meant it would be the only game for The Mackem Filth he ever played, being forced into retirement some months later. Marc Bolan and Cilla Black duetted on 'Life's A Gas' during an episode of Cilla which also featured Kenny Lynch and Cliff Richard. Lucy Donna Porter born in Croydon. The first UK broadcast of the Columbo episode The Most Crucial Game on LWT.

The Ulster Defence Association shot dead a Catholic civilian at his workplace, a petrol station in Belfast. On the same day the UDA killed a fifteen-year-old civilian in a drive-by shooting at Falls Road/Donegall Road junction and the Provisional IRA shot dead UDA member Francis 'Hatchet' Smith in West Belfast; Smith was rumoured to have led the group that shot the teenager. The Mysterious Death On The Underground Railway broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action special The Friends & Influence Of John L Poulson was scheduled across the ITV network but, shortly before transmission the regulator, the IBA, banned the film without having seen it and without giving any official reason for its removal other than 'broadcasting policy'. As a protest, Granada broadcast a blank screen for thirty minutes - which, bizarrely, recorded the third-highest TV audience of that week. After a public furore, which saw newspapers as diverse as The Sunday Times to the Socialist Worker united in condemnation, the IBA held a second vote, having by then actually watched the film. By a single vote the ban was lifted and episode, retitled The Rise & Fall Of John Poulson, was broadcast three months later.
The Who performed 'Relay' and 'Long Live Rock' on The Old Grey Whistle Test. Former Nixon aide and FBI agent Gordon Liddy and James McCord, an ex-CIA agent and security director of the Committee to Re-elect the President were convicted for their roles in the break-in at the Watergate complex. They were found extremely guilty of conspiracy, bugging DNC headquarters and burglary. Four others, including Howard Hunt, had already pleaded guilty. Judge John Sirica threatened the convicted burglars with long prison sentences unless they co-operated with the recently announced Senate Watergate Committee. The fourth India/England test at Kanpur ended in a draw. Tony Lewis scored his only test century. Jackie Birkenshaw and Graham Roope made their test debuts. Gabriel Josipovici's Playback brodcast in Radio 3's Stereo Workshop strand. Barry Cockcroft's memorable documentary A Winter Too Many broadcast on ITV, following the solitary existence of Hannah Hauxwell, a farmer who lived alone in a remote farmhouse without electricity or running water, in the isolated Baldersdale in County Durham. The documetnary made Hauxwell into an unexpected TV star overnight.
Godfrey Harrison's Marry The Girls broadcast as part of the Comedy Playhouse strand. Eugenio Martín's Una Vela Para El Diablo (A Candle For The Devil) - starring Aurora Bautista, Judy Geeson and Esperanza Roy - premiered. The Derek Scott Orchestra's 'Girl In The White Dress'/'Hymn To Her', Kris Kristofferson's 'Jesus Was A Capricorn (Owed To John Prine)'/'Enough For You' and Cockerel Chorus's 'Nice One Cyril'/'Cyril Marches On' released.
A Scottish Cup tie against Aberdeen at Glebe Park, home of Brechin City, gave the stadium its highest ever attendance - over eight thousand, greater than the total population of the town of Brechin itself. The first episode of No Man's Land broadcast on LWT.
The Goodies episode The New Office broadcast.
The first episode of The Wombles broadcast. Willis Hall's Song At Twilight broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. Five Hundred Carats broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand.
gerry Raferty was in session on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies.
Derby County twice came from behind to win a remarkable FA Cup Fourth Round replay five-three at Tottenham after extra time. Spurs were three-one ahead with goals from Martin Chivers, Alan Gilzean and a Mike England penalty but Derby's Roger Davies scored a hat-trick and Kevin Hector two. The US Senate voted to approve a resolution to establish a select committee to investigate Watergate. The RTV31 Tracked Hovercraft train was successfully tested. The project was cancelled a week later.
North Carolina senator Sam Ervin was named as chairman of the Senate Select Committee to investigate the Watergate malarkey. Francis Leroi's Les Tentations De Marianne - starring Rosa Fumetto - premiered.
Jane Arden's The Other Side Of Underneath - starring Sheila Allen - premiered. Angelo's 'Good Time Girl'/'Main Line Lady', The Faces' 'Cindy Incidentally'/'Skewiff (Mend The Fuse)', Johnny Silvo & Dave Moses' 'Doctor Jazz'/'My Brudda Sylvest', Andy Williams' 'Marmalade, Molasses & Honey'/'Who Was It?', Bonnie Raitt's 'Too Long At The Fair'/'Under The Falling Sky', Life's 'Cat's Eyes'/'Death In The Family', Jimmy Helms' 'Gonna Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse'/'Words & Music', The Edgar Winter Group's 'Round & Round'/'Catchin' Up' and Wolfe's 'Dancing In The Moonlight'/'Snarlin' Mama Lion' released.
Christopher Hodson's The Best Pair Of Legs In The Business - starring Reg Varney, Diana Coupland, Lee Montague and George Sweeney - premiered.
The Goodies episode Hunting Pink broadcast. Liechtenstein held a referendum - limited to men - on introducing >women's suffrage. Unsurprisingly, it was rejected. Emerson Fittipaldi won the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. The fifth test at Bombay was drawn. In a high-scoring match, Farokh Engineer and Tony Greig both scored hundreds. India won the series two-one.
Dennis Potter's Only Make Believe broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. Freddie Francis's The Creeping Flesh - starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Lorna Heilbron - premiered. Newcastle United signed Bury's highly-rated midfielder Terry McDermott for twenty thousand knicker. Cell Thirteen broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode The Get-Rich-Quick Guide broadcast.
The first episode of The Viaduct broadcast.
The Midweek Special documentary The Vietnam War broadcast. Bobby Moore won his one hundredth England cap in a five-nil victory against a Scotland side containing five Manchester United players at Hampden Park in a game to celebrate the centenary of the Scottish FA. Allan Clarke scored twice whilst his Leeds United teammate Peter Lorimer was responsible for a calamitous own goal. Mick Channon and Martin Chivers were also on target. With Tommy Docherty having resigned to take the Manchester United job in November, this was Willie Ormond's first game in charge of Scotland. Northern Ireland lost a World Cup Qualifier, in shame and ignominy, one-nil against a bunch of Cypriot part-timers to a late Kokos Antoniou goal. Norwich City signed West Bromwich Albion's Colin Suggett for seventy thousand notes. The first episode of All Our Saturdays broadcast on Thames.
The first episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em broadcast, in the process giving bad impressionists an entire career 'doing Frank Spencer'. Andy Ashton's And All Who Sail In Her - featuring one of the first TV appearances by Bob Hoskins - broadcast on BBC2. Can's 'Spoon'/'I'm So Green' released. The Pretty Things, Lindisfarne and disgraceful, pompous oafs The Queen Group appeared on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies.
The Court of Appeal ruled that The Sunday Times could publish articles on Thalidomide and Distillers, despite ongoing legal actions against both companies by parents. Peter Sasdy's Nothing But The Night - starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Diana Dors, Georgia Brown, Keith Barron, Gwyneth Strong, Fulton Mackay, John Robinson, Morris Perry and Michael Gambon - premiered. Bruce Forsyth's 'Life Is The Name Of The Game'/'Didn't He Do Well?', The New Seekers' 'Pinball Wizard-See Me, Feel Me'/'Time Limit', The Playthings' 'Stop What You're Doing'/'Sad Songs', Curtis Mayfield's 'Superfly'/'Give Me Your Love (Love Song)' and Neil Innes's 'How Sweet To Be An Idiot'/'The Age Of Desperation' released.
The OFC Nations Cup, the first Oceania-wide football tournament ever held, opened in New Zealand. The hosts beat Tahiti two-nil in the final in Auckland. Ipswich Town's four-one victory over Manchester United saw the league debut of George Burley, the first of six hundred and twenty eight games - for Ipswich, Sunderland, Gillingham, Motherwell, Ayr United, Falkirk, Colchester United and Scotland - in a career that lasted until 1995.
The first episode of A Little Princess broadcast. The Goodies episode Winter Olympics broadcast.
John Burrows and John Harding's For Sylvia Or The Air Show broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. The Secret of The Magnifique broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode Ready,. Willing & Disabled broadcast.
Bob Ferris and Terry Collier spent a desperate day trying to avoid hearing the result of the Bulgaria versus England football match to win a ten pound bet with Brian Flint. Fairport Convention were in session on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies.
The first episode of Val Meets The VIPs broadcast. Norwich City and Sheffield United swapped The Canaries Scottish centre-forwad Jimmy Bone and The Blades' Welsh international Trevor Hockey. Kevin Billington's TV movie And No One Could Save Her - starring Lee Remick and Milo O'Shea - first broadcast on ABC.

The underground comic Nasty Tales, prosecuted as 'an obscene publication,' was part of 'a long tradition of satirical writing' according to defence witness Germaine Greer. Gordon Banks was fined for dangerous driving over the collision which ended his football career. Work on the Keilder Reservoir project in Northumberland was deferred until alternatives had been assessed. The appeal of Michael Lavaglio and Dennis Stafford, jailed for the 1967 murder of Angus Sibbett, took place. Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango In Paris - starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider and Paul Verhoeven's Turk's Fruit - starring Monique van de Ven, Rutger Hauer and Wim van den Brink - premiered. Tokyo Zoo reported that Lan Lan and Kang Kang, two giant pandas given to them by China, were 'eyeing each other up' and had 'even appeared to kiss each other, briefly.'
Slade's 'Cum On Feel The Noize'/'I'm Mee, I'm Now, An' That's Orl', Beck, Bogert, Appice's 'Black Cat Moan'/'Livin' Alone', Scalliwag's 'Lazy Hazy Feeling'/'Stone', Nolan Porter's 'If I Could Only Be Sure'/'Work It Out In The Morning', Joey Heatherton's 'I'm Sorry'/'Shake A Hand', Incredible String Band's 'At The Lighthouse Dance'/'Jigs', Roxy Music's 'Pyjamarama'/'The Pride & The Pain', Argent's 'God Gave Rock & Roll To You'/'Christmas For The Free' and Chicory Tip's 'Good Grief Christina' released. In the lead-up to the Chester-le-Street by-election, the New Statesman magazine published an article by Richard West, alleging that officials of the General and Municipal Workers Union had 'systematically gained control of the Chester-le-Street Constituency Labour Party' and, in effect, 'gerrymandered their representation in the division to obtain more votes' than affiliated branches of other trade unions during the process of selecting Labour candidate, Giles Radice. Having played just eighteen times for Manchester United (and scoring but five goals) since joining the club in September, Ted MacDougall was on the move again, signed by West Ham United for one hundred and eighty grand.
BBC2's Full House featured a profile of Kurt Vonnegut. Eight matches were played in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Chelsea, Luton Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Derby County, Coventry City, Arsenal and Leeds United emerged victorious. Sunderland drew with Manchester City.
The Goodies episode That Old Black Magic broadcast. Erections were held in Gabon. The Gabonese Democratic Party was the only party permitted to participate. GDP leader and incumbent president, Omar Bongo, was the only candidate in the presidential erection and was, consequently, elected. The first episode of The Upper Crusts broadcast on LWT.
Sir John Betjeman's Metro-Land broadcast on BBC2. Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies released. The Acent-Minded Coterie broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode Last Tangle In Paris broadcast.
Sunderland won a memorable FA Cup Fifth Round replay three-one against Manchester City at Roker Park.
Hearings began to confirm Patrick Gray as permanent Director of the FBI. During the hearings, Gray revealed that he had complied with an request from John Dean to provide daily updates to the White House on the Watergate investigation and, also, that Dean had 'probably lied' to FBI investigators. The American Indian Movement occupied Wounded Knee, South Dakota. In the UK, rail workers and civil servants went on strike. The novel Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon was published. The first episode of The Jensen Code broadcast on Thames.
Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon released. Lincoln MP Dick Taverne, having resigned from Parliament on leaving the Labour Party, was re-elected as a 'Democratic Labour' candidate in a by-election. Faust appeared in session on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies.
A highly unlikely combination of Thin Lizzy and The New Seekers were the guests on Crackerjack. T-Rex's 'Twentieth Century Boy''/'Free Angel', Change's 'Yaketty Yak, Smacketty Smack'/'When The Morning Comes', Judy Collins' 'Cook With Honey'/'So Begins The Task', The Shakers' 'One Wonderful Moment'/'Love, Love, Love' and Hibernian Football Team's 'Hibernian (Give Us A Goal)'/'Turnbull's Tornadoes' released.
Ralph Coates scored the winner as Tottenham Hotspur beat Norwich City in the League Cup Final at Wembley. Two IRA bombs exploded in London, killing one person and injuring two hundred and fifty. Ten people were arrested hours later at Heathrow Airport, on suspicion of being involved in the bombings. Or, of being Irish and in the wrong place at the wrong time. Judee Sill and Can featured on Radio 1's In Concert. Alastair Reid's Something To Hide - starring Peter Finch, Shelley Winters, Colin Blakely, John Stride and Linda Hayden - premiered.
The first episode of Hugh Whitemore's The Pearcross Girls broadcast on BBC2. The Goodies episode For Those In Peril On The Sea broadcast. The yacht Auralyn was struck by a whale and sank in the Pacific. Sailors Maurice and Maralyn Bailey were rescued by a South Korean fishing boat on 30 June after one hundred and seventeen days in a rubber liferaft. Lionel Jeffries' Baxter! - starring Patricia Neal, Britt Ekland, Scott Jacoby, Sally Thomsett and Paul Eddington - premiered.
William Trevor's Access To The Children broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. Don Sharp's completely mental Psychomania - starring George Sanders, Beryl Reid, Nicky Henson and Mary Larkin - premiered. The Sensible Action Of Lieutenant Holst broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode Conversations With A Gay Liberal interviewed Sam Green, a psychiatric nurse, recently elected to Durham council despite being open about his homosexuality.
Nationwide featured a profile of Dave Edmunds. Jack Gold's The National Health - starring Lynn Redgrave, Colin Blakely, Eleanor Bron, Donald Sinden and Jim Dale - premiered.
Comet Kohoutek was discovered by Czech astronomer Luboš Kohoutek. The first test of England's tour of Pakistan was drawn. Dennis Amiss and Sadiq Mohammad both scored centuries. Eduardo Paolozzi (Radiovision) broadcast on Radio 4.
Mike Leigh's A Mug's Game? broadcast as part of the long-running children's drama strand Scene. Provisional IRA bombs exploded in Whitehall and at the Old Bailey.
Cliff Richard's 'Power To All Our Fiends'/'Come Back Billie Jo', Joni Mitchell's 'Cold Blue Steel & Sweet Fire'/'Blonde In The Bleachers', Heads, Hands & Feet's 'One Woman'/'Dirty Heavy Weather Road', The Carpenters' 'Sing'/'Druscilla Penny', Lloyd Price's 'Love Music'/'Just For Baby' and Billy Preston's 'Will It Go Round In Circles?'/'Blackbird' released.
An infamous episode of Parkinson broadcast in which Kenneth Williams, having previously expressed trenchant views about the trade union movement, was invited to debate the subject with Jimmy Reid. Their abrasive confrontation - which Reid easily won - turned an entertainment show into something more akin to a current affairs programme. The then Controller of BBC1, Paul Fox, reported directed that the programme was not to venture into that sort of territory again. In Northern Ireland, an armed bank robbery was carried out by members of The Glenanne Gang, a loose alliance of loyalist extremists. Shawn Phillips's 'Lost Horizon'/'Landscape' and Ernie Shelby's 'Bend Over Backwards'/'Punish Me' released. Newcastle United's one-nil victory over Stoke City in the First Division featured the debut of eighteen year old Alan Kennedy, the first of six hundred and sixty eight games, for Newcastle, Liverpool, Sunderland, Wigan Athletic, Hartlepool, Wrexham and England, in a career that lasted until 1990.
The Goodies episode Way Outward Bound broadcast.

Mike Leigh's Hard Labour broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. The Soviet Union's lunar rover Lunokhod Two began its third round of activity on the Moon's surface. The first episode of Hickory House broadcast on Thames. The Superfluous Finger broadcast in The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand.
The first episode of Lizzie Dripping broadcast. John Martyn - performing 'I'd Rather Be The Devil' and 'May You Never' and Roger Daltrey appeared on The Old Grey Whistle Test. The first episode of Ray Jenkins' So It Goes broadcast on Thames.
Anton Van De Water's La Maîtresse - starring Marc Bellier, Diane Boucher and Catherine Bégin - premiered.
David Rudkin's Atrocity broadcast as part of BBC2's Thirty Minute Theatre strand. The Kinks appeared on In Concert. Fons Rademakers' The Rape (aka Because Of The Cats) - starring Bryan Marshall, Alexandra Stewart, Sylvia Kristel and Sebastian Graham Jones and Franz Marischka's Liebesgrüße Aus Der Lederhos'n - starring Peter Steiner, Julia Tomas, Rinaldo Talamonti and Birgit Bergen - premiered.
The Writers Guild of America Awards were held at the Beverley Hilton Hotel. The films Cabaret, What's Up, Doc?, The Godfather and The Candidate won major awards. Mandingo's 'Medicine Man'/'Black Rite', Robin Trower's 'Man Of The World'/'Take A Fast Train' and Marlena Shaw's 'Last Tango In Paris'/'Save The Children' released.
In the FA Cup Sixth Round, Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Coventry City two-nil, Sunderland won an all Second Division clash with Luton Town also two-nil, Leeds United won a bruising encounter at Derby one-nil and Arsenal and Chelsea drew two-two (Arsenal won the replay three days later). Convicted Watergate burglar James McCord wrote to Judge John Sirica, claiming that some of his testimony was perjured 'under pressure' and that the burglary was not a CIA operation but had involved other government officials, thereby leading the investigation to the White House. He named former Attorney General John Mitchell as the 'overall boss' of the operation. The first UK broadcast of the Columbo episode Reqiuem For A Falling Star on LWT.
The first UK TV showing of The Maltese Falcon.
David Hare's Man Above Men broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. Anonymous Letter broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode The Coal Enquiries broadcast.
Ray Cooney and David Croft's Not Now, Darling! - starring Leslie Phillips, Julie Ege, Bill Fraser, Moira Lister, Derren Nesbitt, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor, Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge - premiered.
Aware that two of President Nixon's closest aides - Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman - might soon be charged with obstruction of justice, White House counsel John Dean (himself also at risk of obstruction charges) briefed the president on the growing threat to his administration. In the so-called 'Cancer On The Presidency' meeting Dean laid out for Nixon's benefit the full, sordid details of the cover-up carried out by the White House into its own involvement (before, during and after the fact) in the Watergate break-in and various other associated criminality. Nixon - perhaps knowing he was being recorded - affected surprise at much of the information Dean gave him - even elements of the case which subsequently released earlier tapes would prove he already had full knowledge of. At one point, Dean informed the President that 'hush-money' currently being paid to the convicted Watergate burglars and their families and lawyers could reach 'a million dollars over the next two years,' to which Nixon replied: 'We could get that.' The second test at Hyderabad was drawn, with Dennis Amiss and Mushtaq Mohammed scoring hundreds.
Paul McCartney & Wings' 'My Love'/'The Mess', Libido's 'Hold On To Your Fire'/'Weren't Born A Man', Hot Chocolate's 'Brother Louie'/'I Want To Be Free', Maxi's 'Do I Dream?'/'Here Today & Gone Tomorrow', Joe Liggins' 'Pink Champagne'/'Honey Dripper', The Original Cast Of Ross Hunter's Musical Production Of Lost Horizon's 'The World Is A Circle'/'Question Me An Answer', The Impressions Featuring Curtis Mayfield's 'People Get Ready'/'We're Rolling On' and Nazareth's 'Broken Down Angel'/'Witchdoctor Woman' released. Peter Sykes's The House In Nightmare Park - starring Frankie Howerd, Ray Milland, Hugh Burden and Kenneth Griffith - premiered.
Roxy Music's For Your Pleasure and Tangerine Dream's Atem released. The Alpine Skiing World Cup concluded at Heavenly Valley, US. The men's and women's overall champions were Gustav Thöni of Italy and Annemarie Pröll of Austria. Chester City's one-nil defeat at Cambridge United in the Fourth Division saw the league debut of Paul Futcher, the first of six hundred and ninety eight games - for Chester, Luton Town, Manchester City, Oldham Athletic, Derby County, Barnsley, Halifax Town and Grimsby Town - in a career that lasted until 1994.
Open All Hours, the first episode of Dick Clement and Ian La Franais' Ronnie Barker anthology Seven Of One broadcast on BBC2. This was last-minute replacement for the scheduled episode, I'll Fly You For A Quid - postponed because of the Lofthouse Colliery disaster four days earlier. It was eventually broadcast on 6 May.
Sir Mortimer: Digging Up People broadcast as part of BBC2's Chronicle strand. Led Zeppelin's Houses of The Holy and the eponymous debut LP by Beck, Bogert & Appice released. Women were admitted into the London Stock Exchange for the first time. Roy Ward Baker's The Vault Of Horror premiered. The Moabite Cypher broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode The Protestant Succssion Number Two broadcast.
At the forty fifth Academy Awards ceremony, The Godfather won Best Picture whilst Cabaret won eight awards (including awards for Lisa Minnelli and director Bob Fosse). The ceremony was marked by Marlon Brando's boycott - sending Sacheen Littlefeather to explain why he would not accept his Best Actor award for The Godfather and by Charlie Chaplin's only competitive Oscar win for Best Original Dramatic Score for his twenty-year-old film Limelight, which was eligible because it did not screen in Los Angeles until 1972.
Leighton James and Trevor Hockey were on-target as Wales beat Poland two-nil at Ninian Park in a World Cup Qualifier. Oxford United's Dave Roberts made his international debut. Northern Ireland drew one-all with Portugal at Coventry's Highfield Road. They led for much of the game through a Martin O'Neill goal, but conceded a penalty - scored by Eusabio - six minutes from time. Sheffield Wednesday's Roy Coyle made his international debut. Highlights were broadcast on Sportsnight.
The last American combat soldiers left Viet'nam. The third Pakistan/England test ended in a draw. Uniquely three players - Majid Khan, Mushtaq Mohammed and Dennis Amiss - were all dismissed for ninety nine.
10CC's 'Rubber Bullets/'Waterfall', The Bee Gees' 'Saw A New Morning'/'My Life Has Been A Song', The Rattles' 'Devil's Son'/'What Do I Care?', First Choice's 'Armed & Extremely Dangerous'/'Gonna Keep On Lovin Him', Humble Pie's 'Black Coffee'/'Say No More', Esther Phillips' 'I've Never Found A Man (To Love Me Like You Do)'/'Cherry Red', Gary Glitter's 'Hello! Hello! I'm Back Again'/'IOU' and Frog's 'Witch Hunt'/'Living Dead' released.
Red Rum won his first Grand National defeating co-favourite Crisp on the run-in, having trailed by fifteen lengths at the final fence. Red Rum went on to win the Grand National on a further two occasions. Crystal Palace's two-nil victory over Chelsea saw the league debut of Big Jim Cannon - the first of six hundred and sixty three games for The Glaziers in a career that lasted until 1988. In the process he broke Terry Long's appearance record for the club, established in 1970. The first UK broadcast of the Columbo episode The Most Dangerous Match on LWT.
Prisoner & Escort, the pilot of Porridge, broadcast as part of BBC2's Seven Of One strand. The first episode of Away From It All also broadcast on BBC2. The first episode of The New Road broadcast. VAT came into effect in the UK.
The first episode of Open Door broadcast. The Beatles 1962-66 and The Beatles 1967-70 (The Red Album and The Blue Album) released. The Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922 was replaced by the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act abolishing the death penalty for murder in Northern Ireland and establishing the Diplock courts. The Secret Of The Fox Hunter broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode The Watergate Caper broadcast.
The first handheld cellular phone call was made by Martin Cooper in New York City.
The first episode of Barnaby broadcast. The World Trade Centre officially opened in New York City.
The Faces' Ooh La La released. The first episode of The Indoor League broadcast on Thames. Pioneer 11 was launched on a mission to study the solar system. Douglas Hickox's Theatre Of Blood - starring Vincent Price, Diana Rigg and Ian Hendry - premiered.
Wizzard's 'See My Baby Jive'/'Bend Over Beethoven', David Bowie's 'Drive-In Saturday'/Round & Round', The Jeff Beck Group's 'I've Been Drinking'/'Morning Dew', 'Greensleeves', Barry Blue's 'Dancin' (On A Saturday Night)'/'New Day', Barry White's 'I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby'/'Just A Little More Baby', Alice Cooper's 'No More Mister Nice Guy'/'Raped & Freezin' and Status Quo's 'Mean Girl'/'Everything' released. Realising that the White House has him marked out as a prime candidate for a fall-guy for the Watergate malarkey, White House counsel John Dean began co-operating with federal Watergate prosecutors and snitching up everyone up to, and including, the Pres like a dirty stinkin' Copper's Nark. Peter Niesewand, a correspondent of the Guardian and the BBC, was jailed in Rhodesia for an alleged breach of the Official Secrets Act. ATV Midlands became the second ITV region to use the generic title Appointment With Fear for their Friday night showings of horror movies, starting with The Haunting. Granada had previously used the strand-name, from late 1971. Tyne Tees, Yorkshire, Thames and other regions would, subsequently, brand their own versions of Appointment With Fear (usually on Friday nights, though some regions programmed such movies on Mondays).
Luxembourg won The Eurovision Song Contest for the second year running thanks to Anne-Marie David's 'Tu Te Reconnaîtras'. Cliff Richards' 'Power To All Our Friends' came third. In the FA Cup Semi Finals, Sunderland beat Arsenal two-one at Hillsborough and Leeds United defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers one-nil at Maine Road. The International Seven-A-Side Tournament, the first Rugby Sevens tournament to feature national representative teams was held at Murrayfield. In the final England beat Ireland twenty two-eighteen.

Jackie Stewart won the BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone. The Supremes appeared on BBC2's They Sold A Million. The first episode of Our Kid broadcast on LWT.
Sayeret Matkal commandos - led by future Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak - and Mossad agents launched raids into Beirut and Sidon, assassinating several high-level PLO officials including some with links to the 1972 Munich massacre in Operation Spring Of Youth. The first episode of Kaliedoscope broadcast on Radio 4. David Bowie's 'Drive-In Saturday' released. Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon premiered. The Looting Of The Specie Room broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand.
Derby County's European Cup Semi Final first leg against Juventus ended in a three-one defeat in Turin. After the match, Brian Clough accused the rivals of bribing the match officials (describing the Italians as 'cheating bastards'). The second leg ended in a goalless draw. The House of Commons voted against restoring capital punishment by a margin of one hundred and forty two votes. Franz Antel's Frau Wirtins Tolle Töchterlein premiered. The first episode of Armchair Thirty broadcast on Thames.
Nina Bawden's Carrie's War published. Claude Whatman's That'll Be The Day - starring David Essex, Rosemary Leach, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Billy Fury, Rosalind Ayers, Robert Lindsay and Deborah Watling - and Pete Walker's Tiffany Jones - starring Anouska Hempel and Ray Brooks - premiered.
David Bowie's Aladdin Sane, The Wailers' Catch A Fire , Men's 'Oh What A Naughty Man!'/'Rose Growing By The Sidewalk', Steely Dan's 'Reelin' In The Years'/'Only A Fool', The Detroit Spinners' 'Could It Be I'm Falling In Love?'/'Just You And Me Baby', Lloyd Miller's 'Black Is Black'/'It Takes Two', Marion's 'Tom Tom Tom'/'My Son John', Sylvia's 'Pillow Talk'/'My Thing' and Mocedades' 'Touch The Wind'/'Eres Tu' released. The first episode of Hello Cheeky - 'Conceived, written and misread by Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer and John Junkin' - broadcast on Radio 2. David McGreavy, a lodger in the home of his friends Clive and Elsie Ralph, murdered the Ralphs' three children, Paul, Dawn and Samantha. Afterwards he mutilated their bodies with a pickaxe and impaled them on the spikes of a wrought-iron fence. McGreavy, called The Monster of Worcester in the press, later pleaded very guilty to all three murders and was sentenced to multiple life terms.
The first episode of Thriller - Lady Killer - broadcast on Thames.
The Mystery Of The Amber Beads broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode The Bormann Business broadcast.
The first episode of Hugh Whitemore's A Thinking Man As Hero broadcast on BBC2. British Leyland launched its new Austin Allegro range, to replace the ageing 1100 and 1300 ranges that were sold under the Austin, Morris, Riley, Wolseley, MG and Vanden Plas brands from the range's 1962 launch. George Lucas began writing the first treatment for Star Wars. The first UK showing of The Screaming Woman in LWT's Movie of The Week strand.
James Cellan Jones's Bequest To The Nation - starring Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, Michael Jayston and Anthony Quayle - and Don Chaffey's Charley One-Eye - starring Richard Roundtree and Roy Thinnes - premiered. Having scored one hundred and thirty eight goals in two hundred and forty eight game for the club, Southampton sold Welsh international Ron Davies to bitter local rivals Portsmouth for thirty five thosuand smackers.
Highly Likely's 'Whatever Happened To You? (Likely Lads Theme)'/'God Bless Everyone', Sparks' A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing, The Edgar Winter Group's 'Frankenstein'/'Undercover Man', Lighthouse's 'Sunny Days'/'Lonely Places', The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's 'Brother Sun & Sister Moon'/'England Made Me' and Byzantium's 'What A Coincidence'/'My Season's Changing With The Sun', Fanny's 'I Need You Need Me'/'Beside Myself', Earth Band's 'Get Your Rocks Off'/'Sadjoy' and Sunderland First Team Squad With Bobby Knoxall's 'Sunderland All The Way'/'I'm Feeling Happy' released.
Billy J Kramer and Gerry & The Pacemakers featured in session on John Peel's Sounds Of The Sixties.
The first episode of The Gordon Peters Show broadcast.
The Sweet's 'Hell Raiser'/'Burning', Bill & Boyd's 'Someone To Love'/'Slap Your Draughty Blue Jeans', Stealers Wheel's 'Stuck In The Middle'/'José', Derek & The Dominos' 'Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?'/'Presence Of The Lord', Bobo Mister Soul's 'Hitch-Hiking To Heartbreak'/'She's My Woman, She's My Girl', Ayshea's 'Farewell'/'The Best Years Of My Life', Anne-Marie David's 'Wonderful Dream'/'Tu Te Reconnaitras', Skull Snaps' 'My Hang Up Is You'/'It's A New Day' and Suzi Quatro's 'Can The Can'/'Ain't Ya Somethin' Honey?' released. Patrick Gray resigned as FBI director after it came to light that he had destroyed files from Howard Hunt's White House safe given to him by John Dean and John Ehrlichman. William Ruckelshaus was appointed as his replacement. Roy Ward Baker's ... And Now The Screaming Starts! - starring Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Patrick Magee, Ian Ogilvy and Stephanie Beacham - premiered.
Liverpool won the First Division championship (their first in seven years) in Bill Shankly's penultimate season as manager despite competition from Arsenal, Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Arsenal led the table by a point with six matches to go, but one win and three draws in the final stretch cost them dearly. Manchester United sacked Frank O'Farrell after eighteen months in charge. Tommy Docherty, the Scottish national coach and former Chelsea and Aston Villa manager, was appointed as his successor. Both Bobby Charlton and Denis Law played their last games for the club while George Best's appearances were becoming increasingly rare. Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion were relegated. Burnley and Queens Park Rangers won promotion to the First Division. Huddersfield Town's decline continued as they slid into the Third Division, where they were joined by Brighton & Hove Albion. Hereford United were promoted from the Fourth Division in their first season as a league club. Swansea City were relegated from the Third to the Fourth Division. Their two-one victory over Charlton Athletic saw the club debut of sixteen year old Robbie James, the first of nine hundred and fifty five first class matches for in a career - with Swanseam, Stoke City, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Bradford City, Cardiff City, Merthyr Tydfil, Barry Town, Llanelli and Wales - that lasted until 1996.Glasgow Celtic won the Scottish league title.
An Evening With Frankie Howerd broadcast on BBC2. Under Secretary of State for Defence, Lord Lambton's sex-and-drug liaisons with prostitutes were revealed in the tabloids. Colin Levy, the owner of a Soho mucky-book shop and husband of one of the prostitutes, Naughty Norma, had secretly taken compromising photographs of Lambton. It subsequently emerged that Norma - known as 'The Nun' - was part of a prostitute ring run by society madam Jean Horn, whose clients included Lord Jellicoe, the Leader of the House of Lords. He - like Lambton - resigned in shame, ignominy and disgrace. Paul McCartney & Wings' Red Rose Speedway released. Senior White House administration officials John Ehrlichman, Bob Haldeman and Attorney General Richard Kleindienst resigned and John Dean was extremely fired. The news was announced by President Nixon in a televised address to the nation in which Nixon stressed his own innocence. One or two people even believed him. The first episode of The Tomorrow People - the opening part of the serial The Slaves Of Jedikiah - broadcast on Thames. The World In Action episode The Rise & Fall Of John Poulson broadcast.
The Wailers made their memorable UK TV début on The Old Grey Whistle Test - playing 'Concrete Jungle' and 'Stir It Up'. The first episode of A Picture Of Katherine Mansfield broadcast on BBC2. An estimated one million six hundred thousand workers in the UK had a day off in support of the TUC's 'day of national protest and stoppage' against the Government's anti-inflation policy.
Ennio De Concini's Hitler: The Last Ten Days - starring Alec Guinness, Simon Ward, Adolfo Celi and Diane Cilento and William A Castleman's Bummer! - starring Kipp Whitman, Dennis Burkley and Connie Strickland - premiered. The first episode of Dolly broadcast on Thames.
John Gale's Kamikaze In The Coffee Bath broadcast as part of BBC2's Thirty Minute Theatre strand. Construction of the Sears Tower in Chicago was completed; at the time it was the world's tallest building, at one thousand four hundred and fifty one feet. Alastair Reid's Something To Hide - starring Peter Finch, Shelley Winters and Colin Blakely and Franz Marischka's Laß Jucken Kumpel Teil: Das Bullenkloster - starring Michel Jacot, Anne Graf, Rinaldo Talamonti and Helga Bender - premiered.
Hotshots' 'Snoopy Versus The Red Baron'/'What Do You Say?', Millie Jackson's 'Breakaway'/'Strange Things', New York City's 'I'm Doin' Fine Now'/'Ain't It So?' and Nova's 'You're Summer (You Never Tell Me No)'/'Crossword Puzzle' released.

In the biggest football upset in decades, Second Division Sunderland beat Leeds in the FA Cup Final. It was the first time that a cup winning team had not contained a single player to be capped at full international level and the first post-war FA Cup won by a side from outside the First Division. The first episode of filthy old kiddie-fiddler Jimmy Savile's Clunk Click broadcast. On BBC2, there was the début of Doctor Bronowski's The Ascent Of Man. Led Zeppelin played before and audience of fifty six thousand eight hundred at Tampa Stadium, thus breaking the August 1965, record of fifty five thousand six hundred set by The Beatles at Shea Stadium. Al Feuerbach broke Randy Matson's seven-year-old world record in the shot put by throwing 21.82 meters at the San Jose State College.
William G Stewart's big-screen adaptation of Father, Dear Father - starring Patrick Cargill, Noel Dyson, Natasha Pyne, Ann Holloway, Ursula Howells, Jack Watling, Donald Sinden, Jill Melford and Beryl Reid - premiered.
The Blaenplwyf transmitting station began a full (three-channel) 625-line UHF colour television service for Western parts of Welsh Wales. The Missing QCs broadcast in Thames' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes strand. The World In Action episode South Vietnam: A Question Of Torture broadcast.
A seventy one-day stand-off between federal authorities and American Indian Movement activists who were occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee ended with the surrender of the militants. Antony Blach's Horror Hospital - starring Michael Gough and Robin Askwith - premiered. Northern Ireland beat Cyprus three-nil in a World Cup Qualifier played in London at Craven Cottage. Sammy Morgan opened the scoring with Manchester United's Trevor Anderson netting two on his international debut.
Arturo Ripstein's El Castillo De La Pureza premiered. James Paul McCartney broadcast on Thames.
The first episode of Scotch On The Rocks broadcast. Hawkwind's Space Ritual, The Real Thing's 'Listen, Joe McGintoo'/'Girl, I Don't Mind Losin' and Kris Kristofferson's 'It Sure Was (Love)'/'Nobody Wins' released. The first episode of Between The Wars broadcast on LWT.
William G Stewart's adaptation of Father Dear Father - starring Patrick Cargill, Natasha Pyne, Ann Holloway, Noel Dyson, Beryl Reid and Richard O'Sullivan - premiered. England beat Northern Ireland two-one at Goodison Park in the Home International championship. Martin Chivers scored twice. Derby County's David Nish and John Richards of Wolves made their international debuts. The game should have been played in The Province but due to The Troubles it was switched to Liverpool at the request of the Irish FA. Scotland beat Wales two-nil at Wrexham with two goals from George Graham. Glasgow Rangers trio Peter McCloy, Derek Johnstone and Derek Parlane, Glasgow Celtic's Danny McGrain and Manchester United's Jim Holton made their Scotland debuts, Peter O'Sullivan of Brighton & Hove Albion played for the hosts for the first time.
Bobby Riggs challenged and defeated Margaret Court, the world's number one women's player, in a nationally televised tennis match set in Ramona. Riggs won six-two, six-one, which led to the Battle of the Sexes match against Billie Jean King in September. Alan Bridges' The Hireling - starring Robert Shaw and Sarah Miles - premiered. The first UK broadcast of The Funky Phantom.
The NASA space station Sky Lab launched. It would go on to home three groups of astronauts over the next two years and then crash back to Earth with a muffled splat in July 1979. The World In Action episode A Place In The Country broadcast.
In the House of Commons, Prime Minister Heath described large payments made by Lonrho to Duncan Sandys through the tax haven of the Cayman Islands, at a time when the government was trying to implement a counter-inflation policy, as 'the unacceptable face of capitalism.' England beat Wales three-nil in the Home International championship at Wembley with goals from Martin Chivers, Mick Channon and Martin Peters. Bob Marley & The Wailers were in session on John Peel's Sounds Of The Seventies ('Slave Driver', 'Rasta Man', 'Concrete Jungle'). The first episode of Hey Brian! broadcast on Thames.
Leeds United were controversially defeated by AC Milan in the European Cup Winners Cup Final. The Greek crowd reacted furiously to perceived bias towards Milan by the referee, Christos Michas. Despite protests, the result was not overturned. UEFA later banned Michas for life due to match fixing and other nefarious skulduggery. Scotland - without Billy Bremner, David Harvey and Peter Lorimer, otherwise occupied in Athens - lost two-one to Northern Ireland at Hampden Park in the Home International championship. Martin O'Neill and Trevor Anderson scored for the visitors, Kenny Dalglish replying for the hosts. The Caucasian Chalk Circle - starring Leo McKern, John Thaw, Robert Powell and Linda Thorson - broadcast as part of the Play Of The Month strand. Fred Zinnerman's The Day Of The Jackal - starring Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale, Terence Alexander, Cyril Cusack and Derek Jacobi - premiered.
Fay Weldon's Comfortable Words broadcast as part of the Menace strand. Alfred Fagon's Shakespeare Country broadcast as part of BBC2's Thirty Minute Theatre strand. The Senate Watergate Committee began its nationally televised hearings into the questions of 'what did the President knew and when did he stop knowing it?'
Joseph Godber, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, announced that Royal Navy frigates would 'protect' British trawlers fishing in the disputed fifty-mile limit round Iceland. Tribute's 'Bobby Charlton'/'City Summer', Paper Lace's 'Ragamuffin Man'/'Martha (Whatever Happened?)', Elvis Presley's 'Polk Salad Annie'/'CC Rider', The Troggs' 'Listen To The Man'/'Queen Of Sorrow', Joe Simon's 'Step By Step'/'Talk Don't Bother Me' and Marsha Hunt's Twenty Two's '(Oh, No! Not) The Beast Day'/'Somebody To Love' released. Ernst Hofbauer's Was Schulmädchen Verschweigen - starring Wolfgang Hess, Christian Wolff, Marina Blümel, Ulrike Butz and Marie Ekorre - premiered.
The first episode of 'that Doctor Who story with the maggots' (The Green Death) broadcast. Alice May Roberts born in Bristol. The Faust Tapes released. Attorney General-designate Elliot Richardson appointed law professor and former US Solicitor General Archibald Cox as an independent special prosecutor in the Watergate investigation. England beat Scotland one-nil to win the Home International championship at Wembley. Martin Peters scored. The Scots might easily have equalised but for magnificent saves by Peter Shilton from Peter Lorimer and Kenny Dalglish. Joe Jordan of Leeds United made his Scotland debut as a second-half substitute, scaring the life out of Roy McFarland who was given the job of marking him. Northern Ireland defeated Wales one-nil at Goodison Park with a goal from Bryan Hamilton.
The first UK broadcast of M*A*S*H on BBC2.
Hugh Whitemore's adaptation of Cidar With Rosie broadcast. The World In Action episode A Small Case Of Blackmail broadcast.
Patrick Garland's adaptation of A Doll's House - starring Claire Bloom, Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Richardson and Denholm Elliott - premiered.
Liverpool beat Borussia Mönchengladbach three-two on aggregate in the final of the UEFA Cup.

The first episode of The Song Of Songs broadcast on BBC2. John Frankenheimer's Impossible Objects - starring Alan Bates and Dominique Sanda - premiered.
Bernard Falk's infamously sneering report on David Bowie's gig at Bournemouth's Winter Gardens was broadcast on Nationwide. Mott The Hoople's 'Honaloochie Boogie'/'Rose', Gerry Monroe's 'Goodbye, Bobby Boy'/'I've Got This Feeling', Moving Finger's 'So Many People'/'We're Just Happy As We Are', Dave Edmunds' 'Born To Be With You'/'Pick Axe Rag', Ben Cramer's 'The Old Street Musician'/'Sylvia Come Dance With Me', John Miles' 'Jacqueline'/'Keep On Tryin' and George Harrison's 'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)'/'Miss O'Dell' released.
Pete Conrad, Joe Kerwin and Paul Weitz began their twenty six days on board Sky Lab. The first episode of That's Life! broadcast.
England drew one-all in a friendly international with Czechoslovakia in Prague, Allan Clarke's last minute equaliser cancelling out an earlier strike by Igor Novák. Roy Wood appeared on Radio 1's Top Twelve.
John Peel devoted twenty five minutes of his Sounds Of The 70s Radio 1 show to playing side one of Mike Oldfield's wretched hippy drivel Tubular Bells - the first release on Richard Branson's Virgin label. For which, Peelie was, one imagines, rightly ashamed for the rest of his life and, as a consequence, turned to punk rock by way of penance. Princess Anne announced her engagement to Captain Mark Phillips. Amon Düül II and Jack The Lad appeared in session on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies.
Johnny Rep scored the winner as Alax won their third successive European Cup against Juventus in Belgrade. George Harrison's Living In A Material World released ('We are all in a material world/John and Paul in a material world!') The first episode of The Kids From 47A broadcast on Thames.
Postponed from two weeks earlier, Sarah Sutton scared the living bejesus out of a generation of impressionable youths as a psychotic teenage arsonist in James MacTaggert's Menace play Boys & Girls Come Out To Play. The first episode of New Faces broadcast on Thames. Franz Marischka's Laß Jucken Kumpel 2. Teil: Das Bullenkloster - starring Michel Jacot, Anne Graf, Rinaldo Talamonti and Helga Bender - premiered.
Paul McCartney & Wings' 'Live & Let Die'/'I Lie Around', Principal Edwards' 'Captain Lifeboy'/'Nothing', Filigree's 'Yo, Yo, Man'/'Morning Has Begun', The Sarstedt Brothers' 'Chinese Restaurant'/'Beloved Illusions', Be-Bop Deluxe's 'Teenage Archangel'/'Jets At Dawn' and Northeast Featuring Hoagy Pogey's 'A Ticket For The Game'/'Jack The Lad' released. The Greek military junta abolished the monarchy and proclaimed Greece a republic. During a birthday party for Gong's Gilli Smyth and June Campbell Cramer at the latter's Maida Vale home, an inebriated Robert Wyatt fell from a fourth-floor window. He was paralysed from the waist down. ATV Midlands showed Son Of Frankenstein in the Appointment Witrh Fear strand.
Stephen Weeks's Gawain & The Green Knight - starring Murray Head, Nigel Green and Robert Hardy - premiered.
Newcastle United beat Fiorentina two-one in Florence in the the final of the Anglo Italian Cup. John Dean told Watergate investigators that he has discussed the cover-up with Nixon 'at least thirty five times.' At the Paris Air Show crash a Tupolev Tu-144 crashed. The aircraft had been heavily modified compared to the initial prototype, featuring engine nacelles split on either side of the fuselage, landing gear which retracted into the nacelles and retractable foreplanes. The crash occurred in front of two hundred and fifty thousand spectators, including designer Alexei Tupolev, towards the end of the show, following a display by the pre-production Concorde aircraft. The Tupolev appeared to be making a landing approach, with the landing gear out and the foreplanes extended, but then engaged all four engines and climbed rapidly. Stalling below two thousand feet, the aircraft pitched over and went into a steep dive breaking up in mid-air, destroying fifteen houses and killing all six people on board the Tu-144 and eight more on the ground.
The first episode of Hunter's Walk - Disturbance - broadcast on Thames. The World In Action episode Trial One Thousand & One looked at the growing definace of the law in Spain banning Trade Unions.
The first episodes of Sutherland's Law and Son Of The Bride broadcast. Poland beat England two-nil in Chrozow in a World Cup Qualifier in a game chiefly remembered for England's vile canary yellow strip, Bobby Moore's calamitous error which presented Włodek Lubański with Poland's second goal and Alan Ball getting sent off for fisting a hapless Pole in the face. T-Rex's 'The Groover'/'Midnight' released. Radio comedian Jimmy Clitheroe died having taken an overdose of sleeping pills on the day of his mother's funeral.
The first episode of Warship broadcast.
At the end of the 1972–73 Fußball-Bundesliga season, FC Bayern München, the defending champions, won their fourth title, nine points head of runners-up Fußball-Club Köln. Kidrock's 'Rock-A-Bye Blues'/'Bang Bang', Heads, Hands & Feet's 'Just Another Ambush'/'I Won't Let You Down', Mud's 'Hypnosis'/'Last Tango In London' and Tommie Young's 'Everybody's Got A Little Devil In Their Soul'/'Do You Still Feel The Same Way?' released.
The Giro d'Italia was won by Eddy Merckx.
England beat the USSR two-one in a friendly international at the Lenin Stadium in Moscow. Martin Chivers opened the socring and a Murtaz Khurtsilava own goal secured victory. Bobby Moore equalled Bobby Charlton's record of one hundred and six England caps. The first episode of Long Ago & Far Away broadcast on LWT.
John Harvey-Flint's Edward G - Like The Filmstar broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. The first episode of Shabby Tiger broadcast on Thames.
Don Taylor's The Roses Of Eyam broadcast on BBC2. England won the first of a three test series against New Zealand. Highlights included hundreds for Tony Greig and Bev Congdon, five wickets for Geoff Arnold and 'Extras' being top scorer (twenty) in New Zealand's first innings of ninety seven. The first episode of Sam broadcast on Thames.

The first episode of We Are The Champions broadcast. The first episode of Sir Kenneth Clark's Romantic Versus Classic Art broadcast on Thames.
Herbert Ross's The Last Of Sheila premiered. England lost two-nil to Italy in a friendly international to celebrte the seventy fifth anniversary of the Italian FA in Turin. Juventus duo Pietro Anastasi and Fabio Capello scored for the hosts. It was Italy's first victory against England in nine encounters spread over forty years.
John Hough's The Legend Of Hell House - starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowell, Clive Revill and Gayle Hunnicut - premiered. Donna Marie Newman's 'Born Too Late'/'Everybody's Saying Goodbye', The Wailers' 'Concrete Jungle'/'Reincarnated Soul', Humble Pie's 'Get Down To It'/'Honky Tonk Women', Tower Of Power's 'So Very Hard To Go'/'Clean Slate', Al Downing's 'Bring Your Good Lovin' Home'/'Thank You Baby' and Carpenters' 'Yesterday Once More'/'Road Ode' released.
Kevin Billington's Voices - starring David Hemmings - premiered.
The first episode of The Tomorrow People serial The Medusa Strain broadcast on Thames. The World In Action episode Doctor Hammer Goes To Moscow broadcast.
The first production of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show premièred at the Royal Court Theatre in London.
Melvin Franks's A Touch Of Class - starring George Segal and Glenda Jackson - premiered.
Clive Rees's The Blockhouse - starring Peter Sellers and Charles Aznavour - premiered.
Hawkwind's 'Urban Guerrilla'/'Brainbox Pollution', Rotten To The Core's 'Don't Let Me Wait Too Long'/'Let's Do It One More Time', Slade's 'Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me'/'Kill 'Em At The Hot Club Tonite', Argent's 'It's Only Money Part Two'/'Candles On The River', The Bee Gees' 'Wouldn't I Be Someone'/'Elisa' and David Bowie's 'Life On Mars?'/'The Man Who Sold The World' released (two years after it first appeared on Hunky Dory). Jack Cardiff's Penny Gold - starring James Booth, Francesca Annis, Nicky Henson, Una Stubbs and Joss Ackland - premiered. Scotland lost one-nil to Switzerland in a friendly international in Berne. Everton's John Connolly made his international debut.
Slade's 'Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me'/'Kill 'Em At The Hot Club Tonite', Ken Boothe's 'Is It Because I'm Black?'/'Black Gold & Green' and Mungo Jerry's 'Alright, Aright, Alright'/'Little Miss Hipshake' released. A fire at a house in Hull which killed a six-year-old boy was initially thought to be an accident. It later emerged it was the first of twenty six fire deaths caused over the next seven years by the arsonist Peter Dinsdale. Lindsay Anderson's O Lucky Man! - starring Malcolm McDowell, Ralph Richardson, Rachel Roberts, Arthur Lowe, Helen Mirren, Graham Crowden, Dandy Nichols, Graham Crowden, Peter Jeffrey, Warren Clarke, Bill Owen, Michael Medwin, Vivian Pickles, Geoffrey Palmer, Alan Price and James Bolam - premiered.
The first episode of Divorce His, Divorce Hers broadcast on LWT. The first UK showing of The Battle of The Villa Florita.
Julia Jones's The Stretch broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. Former White House counsel John Dean began his extraordinary snitching testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee. The World In Action episode Who Goes Home? broadcast.
The second test against New Zealand at Lord's threatened a major shock as the Kiwis dismissed England for two hundred and fifty three and then scored five hundred and fifty one in reply (with hundreds for Bev Congdon, Mark Burgess and Vic Pollard). But, a century by Keith Fletcher ensured that the game ended in a draw. Norman Jewison's adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar premiered. The first episode of Nobody Is Norman Wisdom broadcast on Thames.
Guy Hamilton's Live & Let Die premiered.
The first episode of Two Women broadcast on BBC2. Pierre-Alain Jolivet's La Punition - starring Karin Schubert, Georges Géret and Claudie Lange - premiered.
Elton John's 'Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting'/'Jack Rabbit', 'Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)', Chuck Jackson's 'I Only Get The Feeling'/'Slowly But Surely', Writing On The Wall's 'Man Of Renown'/'Buffalo', Bobby Goldsboro's 'Summer (The First Time)'/'Childhood - 1949' and East Of Eden's 'Sin City Girls'/'All Our Yesterdays' released. Army Lieutenant Colonel Roberto Souper, having learned that he would be relieved of his command for his part in a conspiracy exposed on the previous day, failed in an attempted coup d'état against the Chilean government of Salvador Allende. Rita Lorraine Jolly, aged seventeen, disappeared from West Linn, Oregon. Shortly before his execution in 1989, the serial killer Ted Bundy confessed to two unsolved homicides in Oregon without identifying either victim to Bill Hagmaier of the FBI Behavioural Analysis Unit. Oregon detectives suspected that this referred to Jolly and Vicki Lynn Hollar, aged twenty four, who disappeared from Eugene on 20 August 1973, but they were unable to obtain interview time with Bundy to confirm it before he went to The Chair.
Novelist, journalist and original Bright Young Thing Nancy Mitford died aged sixty eight. In the second round of the Gillette Cup, Durham became the first minor county to beat a first class team in the competition with a five wicket victory over Yorkshire (whose side contained five England internationals) at Harrogate. Brian Lander took five for fifteen as Durham restricted Yorkshire to one hundred and thirty five, then Russell Inglis hit forty seven and Steve Greensword thirty five not out in their successful reply. The Durham team included Alan Old, brother of Yorkshire's Chris. Scotland lost one-nil to Brazil at Hampden Park in a friend international, part of the celebrations for the Scottish FA's centenary. Derek Johnstone put through his own goal.
The British Library was established.
The World In Action episode Frank's Bank broadcast.
David Bowie 'retired' his Ziggy Stardust persona in front of a shocked (and stunned) audience at the Hammersmith Odeon.
Don Powell, the drummer with Slade, was critically injured in a car crash in Wolverhampton; his twenty-year-old girlfriend was killed. Powell recovered after surgery and was able to rejoin the band ten weeks later in New York, to record 'Merry Xmas Everybody'.
The UK première of Live & Let Die. Roxy Music's 'Do The Strand', Denise La Salle's 'Do Me Right'/'Your Man & Your Best Friend', Chunky's 'Albatross Baby'/'Road Runner Girl' and Nazareth's 'Bad Bad Boy'/'Hard Living', 'Spinning Top' released. Peter Sykes's Steptoe & Son Ride Again - starring Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett - premiered.
The Goodies special Superstar broadcast on BBC2. In it, John Peel - wearing a blond wig - did a sarcastic impression Jimmy Savile introducing an episode of Top Of The Pops ensuring that this twenty four carat comedy classic is unlikely ever to be repeated. The first episode of New Faces broadcast on LWT.
The first episode of The Tomorrow People serial The Vanishing Earth broadcast on Thames. The World In Action episode Like It Or Lump It broadcast.
The Average White Band performed 'Put It Where You Want It' on The Old Grey Whistle Test with Hamish Stuart sporting the largest ginger Afro in history. England won the third test at Headingley by and innings and one run. Geoff Boycott scored a century and Chris Old and Geoff Arnold twice bowled out the tourists. Glenn Turner was the last man out in their second innings, narrowly failing to carry his bat through a completed innings in a test for a third time (having previously done so against England in 1969 and the West Indies in 1972).
A fire broke out in a lavatory aboard Varig Flight 820. Smoke filled the cabin and many passengers died of smoke inhalation by the time the plane crashed during an attempt to make an emergency landing in a field in Orly, France. In total one hundred and twenty three of the one hundred and thirty five people on board died; among them, the president of the Senate of Brazil, Filinto Müller and the Olympic sailor Jörg Bruder. The twelve survivors included the flight's captain, Gilberto Araújo da Silva, who would subsequently die in the disappearance of another Varig plane in 1979. The first episode of Shabby Tiger - A Wife In Water Colour - broadcast on Thames.
The Goodies episode Superstar broadcast.

The first episode of Jack The Ripper broadcast. David Bedford broke Lasse Viren's world ten thousand metres record by over seven seconds at Crystal Palace. Alexander Butterfield, a former presidential appointments secretary, revealed to The Ervin Commission that all conversations and telephone calls in President Nixon's White House office have been taped since 1971. 'Hippies' in St Ives were told by the council if they kept away from the West Pier they would not be 'harassed' by security guards. With dogs. Court proceedings against Derek Smalls, charged with various bank robberies, were dropped after he agreed to turn Queen's evidence and snitch-up his co-accused like a Copper's Nark. Former cabaret singer Janie Jones was imprisoned for seven years for her involvement in 'controlling prostitutes.' By the time she got out, The Clash had immortalised her in song. Rose Dugdale charged with robbery from her father's home - the proceeds of which were allegedly sent to the IRA - was on hunger strike protesting at 'the tyranny of imprisonment without trial.' The Jackson Sisters' 'Why Can't We Be More Than Just Friends?'/'Rockin' On My Porch', Gary Glitter's 'I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am!)'/'Just Fancy That' and Hot Chocolate's 'Rumours'/'A Man Needs A Woman' and the self-titled debut by turgid, pompous, big-haired rockers Queen released. It was crap. Paul Getty III, the sixteen year old grandson of the American oil magnate, was kidnapped in Rome by The Calabrian 'Ndrangheta. The President of Argentina Héctor José Cámpora resigned to allow the return to power of Juan Perón. The first episode of Sir Yellow - A Knight To Remember - broadcast on LWT.
Tom Weiskoff won The Open at Troon. The British Grand Prix was won by Peter Revson, after eleven drivers were forced to retire because of an accident in the first lap when Jody Scheckter's car span out of fourth place and into the centre of the track coming out of Woodcote, causing many other cars to collide and crash. The race was stopped at the end of the second lap and restarted over the original distance. Andrea de Adamich subsequently retired from the sport as a result of the injuries he received in the accident.
Tony Palmer's Ginger Baker In Africa broadcast in the Omnibus strand.
The Edgar Winter Group performed 'Frankenstein' - all nine minutes of it - on The Old Grey Whistle Test. As Bob Harris said: 'Amazing!' King Mohammed Zahir Shah of Afghanistan was deposed by his cousin Mohammed Daoud Khan whilst Zahir was in Italy undergoing eye surgery.
Places Where They Sing - featuring the TV debut of Phil Daniels - broadcast in BBC2's Centre Play strand.
Gordon Carr's documentary The Angry Brigade broadcast. Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong at the age of thirty two from an acute cerebral edema. Mott The Hoople's Mott released. A member of the Japanese Red Army and four members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked Japan Air Lines Flight 404, with one hundred and forty passengers on board, shortly after it took off from Schiphol Airport for a flight to Anchorage, Alaska. One of the PFLP members was killed when her hand grenade exploded during the hijacking, also injuring the airliner's chief purser. The surviving hijackers forced the plane to fly to Dubai, then to Damascus and, finally, Benghazi, where they released the passengers and crew and blew up the airliner. Hobokin's 'Collie Girl'/'Dirty Number Thirty' and The Four Tops' 'Are You Man Enough?'/'Peace Of Mind' released.
Mossad agents assassinated a Moroccan waiter, Ahmed Bouchiki, in Lillehammer, Norway. Bouchiki had been mistaken for Ali Hassan Salameh, one of the leaders of Black September, who had been given shelter in Norway. Six Mossad agents were arrested by the Norwegian authorities.
Monica Lewinsky - with whom Bill Clinton definitely did not 'have relations' - born in San Francisco.
President Nixon refused a court order to turn over presidential audio tapes of selected meetings with his staff to the Senate Watergate Committee or the special prosecutor. Gordon Hessler's Medusa - starring George Hamilton and Luciana Paluzzi and Finn Karlsson's I Jomfruens Tegn - starring Sigrid Horne-Rasmussen, Mette Von Kohl, Anne Bie Warburg, Mette Egholm, Frauke Granholm, Vivi Rau and Susan Skog and Kôzaburô Yoshimura's Konketsuji Rika: Hamagure Komoriuta - starring Rika Aoki, Jiro Kawarazaki, Kotoe Hatsui, Reiko Kasahara and Shôji Ôki - premiered. The World In Action episode Doctor Burnham Does It Again broadcast.
Leeds United and Birmingham City were both fined three thousand knicker by the Football Association following the frequent bad conduct of their players during the previous season. John Huston's The Mackintosh Man - starring Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda and James Mason - premiered. Cliff Owen's adaptation of No Sex Please, We're British - starring Ronnie Corbett, Ian Ogilvy, Susan Penhaligon, Beryl Reid and Arthur Lowe - premiered.
Broadcaster, writer and humorist Clement Freud won the Isle of Ely by-election for the Liberals. The party also won another by-election - in Ripon - on the same day. The first episode of A Pin To See The Peepshow and Irwin Shaw's The Girls In Their Summer Dresses broadcast on BBC2. David Essex's 'Rock On'/'On & On' released.
Al Bean, Owen Garriott and Jack Lousma began their record-breaking fifty eight day mission on board Sky Lab. The Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, a massive rock festival featuring The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band and The Band, attracted over six hundred thousand lank-haired youths. And, no one had the wherewithal to point a sodding great thermonuclear device in their general direction. An opportunity missed, one could suggest.
The Dutch Grand Prix was won by Jackie Stewart. British driver Roger Williamson was killed during the race, in an accident witnessed live on European television. His fellow driver David Purley was later awarded the George Medal for his unsuccessful attempts to save Williamson. The first episode of Bowler broadcast on LWT.
A twenty million pounds compensation settlement was paid to families of victims of Thalidomide following an eleven-year court case. The strangled body of twenty year-old Ronnie Wiebe, was found discarded beside the 405 Freeway, two days after the young man had disappeared. Wiebe was later identified as one of the victims of the serial killer Randy Steven Kraft, the so-called 'Freeway Killer.' The World In Action episode Secrets broadcast.
West Indies beat England in the first test at The Oval by one hundred and fifty eight runs despite a century on debut by Frank Hayes. Clive Lloyd scored a century, Alvin Kallicharran eighty and Keith Boyce took eleven wickets in the match. Militant Unionist protesters - led by the Reverend Ian Paisley - disrupted the first sitting of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Eighteen miners were killed at Markham Colliery near Staveley, when the brake mechanism on their cage failed.
A fire killed at least fifty people at the Summerland amusement centre at Douglas, Isle of Man.
Stevie Wonder's Innervisions, Johnny Williams' 'Just A Little Misunderstanding'/'Your Love Controls My Mind', The Edgar Winter Group's 'Free Ride'/'When It Comes' and The Equals' 'Honey Bee'/'Put Some Rock & Roll In Your Soul' released. George Lucas's American Graffiti and Stephen C Apostolof's The Cocktail Hostesses - starring Rene Bond and Terri Johnson - premiered.
James Beck, who played Private Joe Walker in Dad's Army, died from a burst pancreas at the age of forty four. Christopher Dearman, the proprietor of the Castle Cafe in Newark, was fined sixty pounds after being found guilty on six charges of caning the bottoms of three sixteen year old waitresses 'whenever he found there were discrepancies in the cash register.' His wife, Pauline, was found guilty on four similar charges. The court heard that there had been no complaints from the girls until one, Elaine Clarke, was caned twice in one week and ran home to tell her parents, who reported the matter to the police. Stevie Wonder and his friend, John Harris, were injured when their vehicle collided with a truck loaded with logs. For four days Wonder was in a coma caused by severe brain contusion. The World In Action episode A Message From The Underground broadcast.
Manfred Mann's Earthband's 'Joybringer'/'Can't Eat Meat', Stealers Wheel's 'Everything Will Turn Out Fine'/'Johnny's Song', Can's Future Days, 10CC's 'The Dean & I'/'Bee In My Bonnet' and Rod Stewart's Sing It Again, Rod released. In the second test at Lord's a not out decision in favour of Geoffrey Boycott was aggressively queried by the West Indies team, led by captain Rohan Kanhai. On the following morning the umpire, Arthur, Fagg, declined to take the field unless he received an apology. Kanhai refused, feeling he had done nothing wrong and Fagg - after one over, in which his place was taken by Alan Oakman - returned. The test ended in a draw. Brian Hutton's Night Watch - starring Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey and Billie Whitelaw - premiered.
Alfonso Brescia's Elena Sì Ma Di Troia - starring Pupo De Luca and Don Backy - premiered. BBC2's Show Of The Week featured The Young Generation Big Top and a rare BBC appearance by Mike and Bernie Winters. Who, as usual, were about as funny as a big hairy wart on the end of one's chap.
Michael Palin and Terry Jones's Secrets broadcast as part of BBC2's Black & Blue strand.
Wolverhampton Sunday league team Oxbarn Sports & Social Club, on a pre-season tour of Germany, were erroneously billed as Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of a game in Mainz. Turning up to find the town's full-strength second-flight side as their opponents and a five-figure crowd in place, the Black Country amateurs informed their embarrassed hosts of their real identity before agreeing to fulfil the fixture. And, ended up getting beat twenty one-nil. The same day that the Senate Watergate Committee wrapped up its hearings, President Nixon delivered a primetime address to the nation on Watergate, saying: 'It has become clear that both the hearings themselves and some of the commentaries on them have become increasingly absorbed in an effort to implicate the President personally in the illegal activities that took place.' He reminded the American people that he had already 'taken full responsibility' for the 'abuses that occurred during my administration.' The US bombing of Cambodia ended, officially halting twelve years of combat activity in Southeast Asia. In the Gulf of Tonkin, the aircraft carrier USS Constellation departed Yankee Station for the final time. She was the last aircraft carrier to operate at the station, where American aircraft carriers had been deployed since 1964. In the Gillette Cup semi-finals Gloucester beat Worcester by five runs - Mike Proctor was man of the match with one hundred and one runs and three for thirty one. Tony Greig scored sixty one and took four for twenty seven as Sussex beat Middlesex by five runs at Lord's. The first episodes of Man About The House - Three's A Crowd - and Reg Varney broadcast on Thames.
Victoria Elizabeth Coren born in Hammersmith. Thin Lizzy were in session on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies ('Randolph's Tango', 'The Rocker', 'Slow Blues'). Jean Rollin's Jeunes Filles Impudiques - starring Joëlle Coeur, Gilda Arancio and Marie Hélène Règne - premiered.
Claude Pierson's L'Heptaméron (Joyeux Compères) - starring Michel Galabru, Darry Cowl, Monique Tarbès and Jean-Marie Proslier and Ernst Hofbauer's Frühreifen-Report - starring Hans Billian, Ulrike Butz, Elke Deuringer, Sonja Embriz, Marisa Feldy, Judith Fritsch, Enzi Fuchs, Sonja Jeannine, Heinz Kopitz, Carina Kreisch and Marie Luise Lusewitz - premiered. Friday Brown's 'Groovy Kind Of Love'/'Salford' released.
The first episode of Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go Out And Do Something Less Boring Instead? broadcast. The Rolling Stones' 'Angie'/'Silver Train' released. Les Shipman, President of the Football League announced his opinion that it was time for the government to bring back the birch for football hooligans. 'Violence on the terraces must be strangled at birth this season,' he said. 'Ruthless action is imperative.'
Philip Mackie's The Middle-Of-The-Road Roadshow For All The Family broadcast as part of BBC2's Black & Blue strand. The coroner in the Bloody Sunday inquest accused the British army of 'sheer, unadulterated murder' after the jury returned an open verdict.
According to a Naibobi news agency, a Kenyan witch-doctor - Shariff Abubakar Omar - had written to Sir Alf Ramsay offering his help in aiding England to qualify for the World Cup finals. Kosmos 580 was successfully launched by the Soviet Union as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.
The Norrmalmstorg robbery occurred in Stockholm, the first criminal event in Sweden covered by live television. The perpetrators, Jan-Erik Olsson and Clark Olofsson, persuaded their hostages that they were safer with them than if the police intervened; the incident became fthe origin of the term 'the Stockholm Syndrome.'
Wizzard's 'Angel Fingers A Teen Ballad)'/'You Got The Jump On Me', Donny Hathaway's 'Love Love Love'/'Someday We'll All Be Free', Link Wray's 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy'/'Shine The Light', John Baldry & Lisa Strike's 'She'/'Song For Martin Luther King', Principal Edwards' 'Weekdaze'/'The Whizzmore Kid' and Kidrock's 'Ice Cream Man'/'Dream Dream Dream' released.
Champions Liverpool begin the new football league season with a one-nil win at home to Stoke City. There is considerable bother at the Baseball Ground where, following John McGovern's late winner for Derby against Chelsea, fans from both sides went bezerk and fought on the pitch with kids gettin' chinned and aal sorts. Jimmy Hill, making his debut as Match Of The Day host, was aghast at this happenstance and emotionally called for the reintroduction of national service and the birch. The following Monday on Radio Four's Start The Week With Kenneth Robinson, regular contributor, the comedian Lance Percival, composed one of his topical calypsos including the memorable line: 'The football season started at what a cost/Never mind the hooligans, Cheslea lost!'
John Hancock's Bang The Drum Slowly premiered.
West Ham United's three-three draw with Ipswich Town saw the league debut of Mervyn Day, the first of six hundred and forty games - for The Hamsters, Leyton Orient, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Luton Town, Sheffield United and Carlisle United - in a career that lasted until 1994.
Hugh Leonard's High Kampf broadcast as part of BBC2's Black & Blue strand. Nationwide reported on UFO spotting in Warminster. England's second worst defeat in test cricket - by an innings and two hundred and twenty six runs - came as they were outplayed by the West Indies in the third and final test at Lord's. For West Indies, Rohan Kanhai (one hundred and fifty seven), Gary Sobers (one hundred and fifty not out) and a maiden test century from Bernard Julien led to a huge total, six hundred and fifty two for eight declared. Only Keith Fletcher coped with hostile bowling from Vanburn Holder and Keith Boyce. A bomb scare on Saturday led to the ground being evacuated for eighty five minutes. Gas was used by Swedish police to end the hostage situation following the Norrmalmstorg robbery.
The Netherlands beat Iceland eight-one in a World Cup qualifier at De Adelaarshorst, the home of Go Ahead Eagles Deventer. Willy Brokamp and Johan Cruyff both scored twice, whilst Johan Neeskens, Rene Van Der Kerkoff and Vim Van Hanegem were also among the goals.
Jean-François Davy's Prenez La Queue Comme Tout Le Monde - starring Philippe Gasté, Anne Libert, Malisa Longo, Karine Jeantet and Monique Vita - premiered.
The Rolling Stones' Goats Head Soup, Mott The Hoople's All The Way From Memphis'/'Ballad Of Mott', Rod Stewart's 'Oh! No Not My Baby'/'Jodie', Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On'/'I Wish It Would Rain', John Miles' 'One Minute Every Hour'/'Hollywood Queen', Steely Dan's 'Show Biz Kids'/'Razor Boy', Tommie Young's 'She Don't Have To See You'/'That's All Part Of Loving Him' and Status Quo's 'Caroline'/'Joanne' released. The film director John Ford died aged seventy nine.
Mike Proctor scored ninety four and took two for twenty seven as Gloucestershire beat Sussex by forty runs in the Gillette Cup final. Leeds United maintained their one hundred per cent record after three First Division games, winning three-nil at Spurs.
The writer and academic JRR Tolkien died, aged eighty one.
Bohdan Poreba's Hubal - starring Ryszard Filipski, Malgorzata Potocka and Tadeusz Janczar - premiered.
Julian Mitchell's Rust broadcast in BBC2's Black & Blue strand. The world record for the Women's four by one hundred metres medley relay in swimming was broken by the East German team of Ulrike Richter, Renate Vogel, Rosemarie Kother and Kornelia Ender. None of whom were off their collective face on steroids, obviously. Up The Workers broadcast on Thames.
England won a thrilling one wicket victory against West Indies in a one day international at Headingley. The captains top-scored for their teams (Rohan Kanhai with fifty five, Mike Denness with sixty six); Chris Old and Derek Underwood each took three wickets as West Indies' middle order failed to build on a good start. Tony Greig took England to the brink of victory with forty eight, but three quick wickets then left last pair - Underwood and Bob Willis - to score six to win.
The first episode of Then & Now broadcast on BBC2. Wolf Rilla's Secrets of A Door-To-Door Salesman - starring Brendan Price, Sue Longhurst, Felicity Devonshire, Victoria Burgoyne and Graham Stark and Ed Forsyth's Superchick - starring Joyce Jillson, Louis Quinn and John Carradine premiered.
Vic Feather Of The TUC broadcast. Elton John's 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'/'Screw You', The Boleyn Boys' 'West Ham United'/'Football Mad', Chris Renshaw With The Keepers' 'Banksie (A Tribute To Gordon Banks)'/'National (Health) Anthem', Danny Woods' 'Everybody's Tippin'/'Roller Coaster', Jimmy Helms' 'Magnificent Sanctuary Band'/'My Little Devil' and X Certificate's 'Don't Stick Stickers On My Paper Knickers'/'Come Home Baby' released. West Indies won the second ODI at The Oval. Only Keith Fletcher, with sixty three, shone in England's innings as Lance Gibbs bowled his eleven overs for just twelve runs and Clive Lloyd, drafted in to bowl because Gary Sobers was unfit, took two for twenty five. Man of the Match Roy Fredericks scored one hundred and five and put on one hundred and forty three with Alvin Kallicharran. David Lloyd made his international debut.
Peter Lorimer scored a hat-trick as Leeds continued with their impressive start to the season, beating Birmingham three-nil. Everton's coach Stewart Imlach was booked after his team's two-one defeat at Derby for calling the referee, Pat Partridge, 'a cheat.' Manchester United's two-one defeat at Ipswich Town saw the debut of Brian Greenhoff, the first of three hundred and ninety one games, for United, Leeds United, Rochdale and England, in a career that lasted until 1984. In Division Four Rotherham beat Crewe eight-one. Crewe's manager, Jimmy Melia, reportedly told his players after the game: 'Go home to bed, just keep out of sight.' The Mister Olympia bodybuilding competition was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and was won by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The IRA detonated bombs in Manchester and Victoria Station in London. Leo Garen's Hex - starring Keith Carradine, Tina Herazo, Hillarie Thompson, Scott Glenn and Gary Busey - premiered.
The first episode of Moonbase 3 broadcast. Jackie Stewart's fourth place at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza saw him claim his third World Drivers' Championship. The race was won by Ronnie Peterson. The first UK broadcast of Kung Fu on LWT.
The Provisional IRA bombed London's King's Cross and Euston stations, injuring twenty people. Alan Ball claimed that he was the victim of a 'vendetta' by the Welsh referee Clive The Whistle Thomas who booked him for 'ungentlemanly conduct' in Saturday's two-nil defeat at Leicester, allegedly for suggesting that one of the linesmen needed spectacles. A senior Chilean military officer reported to a CIA officer that a coup was being planned and asked for US government assistance. He was told that the US Government would not provide any assistance because it was an internal Chilean matter, but that his request would 'be forwarded to Washington.' The CIA thus learned of the exact date of the coup before it actually took place but did not warn the Chilean government. The World In Action episode A Question Of Intelligence broadcast.
Michael O'Neill's Soap Opera In Stockwell broadcast as part of BBC2's Black & Blue strand. Chile's democratically elected Marxist government was overthrown in a military coup. President Salvador Allende, having made a farewell speech to Chileans on live radio, allegedly committed suicide in the presidential palace. One or two people even believed that story. A military junta led by the vile and odious criminal Augusto Pinochet assumed power and would lead to over a decade to political repression, torture and systematic abuses of human rights. And the rest of the world did nothing.
Thirty two-year-old legal secretary Wendy Sewell was murdered in Bakewell, Derbyshire. Seventeen-year-old council worker, Stephen Downing, was subsequently arrested, tried and convicted of the crime. Following a campaign by a local newspaper, his conviction was overturned in 2002, after Downing had served twenty seven years in prison; he had been ineligible to apply for parole at an earlier stage as he had always maintained his innocence. The case is thought to be the longest miscarriage of justice in British legal history. Further IRA bombs exploded in Oxford Street and Sloane Square. Manchester United's goalkeeper Alex Stepney scored from a penalty in his side's two-one defeat against Leicester at Old Trafford.
The first episode of Casanova '73 broadcast.
The first episode of The Donati Conspiracy broadcast. Ely, representing Great Britain, won Jeux Sans Frontieres. The Who's '5:15', The Sweet's 'The Ballroom Blitz'/'Rock & Roll Disgrace' , Adrienne Posta's 'Dog Song'/'Express Yourself', Bryan Ferry's 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall'/'2HB', The Wailers' 'Get Up, Stand Up'/'Slave Driver', The Electric Light Orchestra's 'Showdown'/'In Old England Town', Charlie Williams' 'Smile'/'Walkin' My Baby Back Home', Sarstedt Brothers' 'Why Don't We Call It Quits?'/'Run Of Bad Luck' and Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door'/'Turkey Chase' released.
Bobby Moore - placed on the transfer list at his own request - was missing from the West Ham team which lost three-one at Manchester United.
The first episode of Russell Harty Plus One broadcast on LWT.
Harvey Hart's The Pyx (also known as The Hooker Cult Murders) - starring Karen Black and Christopher Plummer - premiered. The World In Action episode Something To Beef About broadcast.
Bristol City beat Hull three-one at Ashton Gate in the Second Division. In a wet and windswept second half City's goalkeeper, Ray Cashley, scored with a freak clearance from his one six yard box.
American singer Gram Parsons died at Joshua Tree in California from an overdose of morphine and alcohol. The ABC TV movie Satan's School For Girls - starring Pamela Franklin, Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd and Roy Thinnes - first broadcast in the US.
Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in 'The Battle of the Sexes' at the Astrodome in Houston. Singer-songwriter Jim Croce and five others were killed when a chartered plane crashed on take-off from Natchitoches Regional Airport. President Nixon failed to reach a compromise with Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox over access to tapes of White House conversations pertaining to the case. Gordon Liddy, one of the convicted burglars, pleaded not guilty to related charges of conspiracy and burglary at the offices of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist. The Ethiopian Embassy in London denied claims from Addis Ababa that Haile Selassie's grandson had tried to force the emperor to abdicate. Nine year old Mary Cairns from Edinburgh, recently sentenced to eighteen months detention for stabbing another girl, was released pending an appeal. The IRA bombed the Duke of York's barracks in Chelsea. A strike by Ford workers threatened to stop production at Dagenham. British Rail chief Richard Marsh believed public opinion would eventually 'force' the government to limit the growth of road freight. A police chief superintendent, giving evidence in a case of drug squad officers charged with perjury, told the jury that the Met had 'many rotten apples.' Everton signed Dave Clements from Sheffield Wednesday for eighty thousand knicker.
Elton John's 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'/'Screw You' and Dick Mills & The BBC Radiophonic Workshop's 'Moonbase Three'/'The World Of Doctor Who' released. The first episode of Helen - A Woman Of Today broadcast on LWT.
Kevin Hector scored a hat-trick in Derby's six-two win over Southampton. Leeds dropped their first point of the season, playing a goalless draw with Manchester United after seven straight wins. Henry Kissinger began his term as US Secretary of State.
The Wigan Casino held its first 'Northern Soul' all-nighter with Russ Winstanley as the DJ. Performers included Jackie Wilson, Edwin Starr and Junior Walker. The first episode of A View from Richard Baker broadcast. The first episode of The Dragon's Opponent broadcast on BBC2. Open Door featured The Aetherius Society and their - not in the slightest bit mental - belief that Jesus is from Venus. In the Argentine general erection, the second of the year, former president Juan Perón's Justicialist Party won sixty per cent of the vote.
Ringo Starr's 'Photograph' released. The Paris Metro line Porte de Charenton to Écoles was extended eastwards to Créteil - L'Échat. America's Department of Justice ruled that the sitting President of the United States was immune from prosecution. The World In Action episode The Cost Of A Cup Of Tea broadcast.
The main-belt asteroids 4303 Savitskij, 6682 Makarij, 3157 Novikov, 6162 Prokhorov, 5412 Rou and 8982 Oreshek were discovered by LV Zhuravleva at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. Crystal Palace signed Derek Jeffries from Manchester United for one hundred grand whilst Henry Newton moved from Everton to Derby County for the same amount.
England defeated Austria seven-nil at Wembley in their first friendly international of the season, with Mick Channon and Allan Clarke each scoring twice. The other goals came from Tony Currie, Martin Chivers and Colin Bell. Scotland qualified for the World Cup Finals for the first time since 1958; goals from Jim Holton and Joe Jordan secured a two-one win over Czechoslovakia at Hampden Park amid scenes of great celebration amongst the ninety five thousand crowd. Zdenek Nehoda had opened the scoring for the Czech's with a soft goal after Celtic's Ally Hunter spilled the ball out of his hands. After this game, he never played for the national side again. Coventry City's Tommy Hutchison and Glasgow Celtic's George Connelly made their international debuts whilst Denis Law became only the second Scot to reach fifty caps.
Soyuz 12, the first Soviet manned flight since the Soyuz 11 tragedy in 1971, was launched. Cosmonauts Vasili Lazarev and Oleg Makarov spent two days in space testing the new craft.
David Bowie's 'Sorrow'/'Amsterdam', Stevie Wonder's 'Higher Ground'/'Too High', Mandingo's 'Fever Pitch'/'The Cheetah', Bloodstone's 'Never Let You Go'/'You Know We've Learned', Lou Ragland's 'Since You Said You'd Be Mine'/'I Didn't Mean To Leave You', Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge's 'I Never Had It So Good'/'A Song I'd Like To Sing' and Slade's Sladest and 'My Friend Stan'/'My Town' released. These were Slade's first releases since drummer Don Powell's near-fatal car crash in July.
Lindsay Shonteff's Big Zapper - starring Linda Marlowe - premiered. The first episode of New Faces broadcast on Thames. The first episode of Radio 1's twenty six part The Story Of Pop - narrated by Alan Freeman - broadcast.
The first episode of The Brontës Of Haworth broadcast on LWT.
Bethel Buckalew's Sassy Sue - starring John Tull, Colleen Brennan, Patrick Wright, Tallie Cochrane and Rachel Wolfe - premiered. The World In Action episode Tomorrow's Women: Labour broadcast.
All six English teams progressed into the Second Round of the European Competitions. Tottenham had the highest aggregate - nine-two over Grasshoppers of Zürich. Leeds United were the highest scorers on the night - six-one against Strømsgodset Toppfotbal of Norway. Ipswich Town earned the most praised for their goalless draw at Real Madrid. A Dennis Tueart penalty saw Sunderland complete a three-nil aggregate win over Vasas Budapest in the Cup Winners Cup to set up a Second Round tie against Sporting Lisbon. Birmingham City signed Gary Sprake from Leeds United for one hundred thousand quid. The Hollies' 'The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee'/'Born A Man' released.
Disgraceful kiddie-fiddler Jimmy Savile, Tony Blackburn, Noel Edmonds and Kenny Everett presented the five hundredth episode of Top Of The Pops. The Space Between - 'a studio miscellany of music, sound and words by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop' - broadcast on Radio 3. 'Wee have also Sound-houses, wher [sic] wee practise and demonstrate all Sounds and their Generation.' Robert Fuest's adaptation of The Final Programme - starring Jon Finch, Jenny Runacre, Hugh Griffith and Patrick Magee - premiered.
Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, The Who's '5:15'/'Water', Carpenters' 'Top Of The World'/'Your Wonderful Parade', Mud's 'Dyna-Mite'/'Do It All Over Again' and The Goodies' 'All Things Bright And Beautiful'/'Winter Sportsman' released.
The first episode of Second House broadcast on BBC2. French driver François Cevert was killed during practice for the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Cevert's teammate, Jackie Stewart, already world champion and who had been due to retire after the race (his one hundredth) chose instead not to take part in tribute to his friend. The race was won by Ronnie Peterson ahead of James Hunt. The Yom Kippur War, the fourth and largest Arab–Israeli conflict began, as Egyptian and Syrian forces attackws Israeli forces in the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights on Yom Kippur.
Alan Coren and Lawrence Gordon Clark's The British Hero - starring Christopher Cazenove - broadcast as part of the Omnibus strand. The first episode of Pollyanna broadcast. A bitter public row broke out over a decision by Essex County Council to bring back the cane in a county's boys' homes. The decision was taken by the social services committee under a forty-year-old code of practice which permitted up to twelve strokes for boys over fifteen. Younger boys could be given up to six strokes. Alderman Fred Hodgson, committee chairman, claimed that corporal punishment was rarely used but was 'needed' to 'help' staff at approved schools and community homes.
A Malcolm MacDonald hat-trick helped Newcastle United defeat Doncaster Rovers six-nil in the Second Round of the League Cup. The game also saw veteran full-back Frank Clark score his first ever goal for United after more than four hundred appearances. The World In Action episode Tomorrow's Women: Conservative broadcast.
Spiro Agnew extremely resigned as Vice President of the United States. In federal court in Baltimore, he pleaded 'no contest' to charges of income tax evasion on twenty nine thousand dollars he received in 1967, while he was governor of Maryland. He was fined ten thousand dollars and put on three years' probation.
Gladys Knight & The Pips' 'Midnight Train To Georgia'/'Window Raisin' Granny', Edwin Starr's 'You've Got My Soul On Fire'/'Love (The Lonely People's Prayer)', The Wombles' 'The Wombling Song'/'Wellington Womble', Kris Kristofferson's 'Why Me?'/'Help Me', Barry Blue's 'Do You Wanna Dance?'/'Don't Put Your Money On My Horse' and The Troggs' 'Strange Movies'/'I'm On Fire' released. Gerald Ford was nominated as Nixon's new Vice President under the Twenty Fifth Amendment.
Following the refusal of Alf Ramsay's request to the Football League for the postponement of several games ahead of England's must-win World Cup qualifier with Poland, full-of-his-own-importance dong Alan Hardaker said in a radio interview: 'It's a football match, not war. Let us keep our perspective - everybody is getting hysterical. If we do lose, the game is not going to die. It will be a terrible thing for six weeks and then everyone will forget about it.' Athony Simmons's The Optimists Of Nine Elms - starring Peter Sellers and Peter Whitehead's Daddy - starring Niki De Saint Phalle, Rainer Von Dietz and Mia Martin - premiered.
Barry Took's Omnibus film Why We Laugh - featuring contributions from John Cleese and Les Dawson - broadcast. Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango In Paris premiered at the New York Film Festival. Anal buttery scene and all. Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets - starring Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro - premiered.
The first episode of Second City Firsts broadcast on BBC2. Brian Clough, the Derby County manager and his assistant Peter Taylor, were sacked after a dispute with the club's directors. Clough had received a letter from chairman Sam Longston, ordering him to discontinue his extra-curricular TV and media work. Terrence Malick's Badlands - starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek - premiered. The A Threat To The State episode A Place In The Country broadcast.
The Wicker Man opened at selected cinemas as part of a (superb) double-bill with Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now. James Bridges' The Paper Chase premiered. Capital Radio, Britain's first legal music-themed commercial independent local radio station, began broadcasting.
In response to the escalating Yom Kippur war, OPEC, the Arab oil producing countries, cut production and quadrupled the world price of petroleum. This move effectively ended the relative affluence on which, as Ian MacDonald wrote in Revolution In The Head, 'the preceding ten years of happy-go-lucky excess in the West had chiefly depended.' The knock-on effects of the Oil Crisis included spiralling inflation, the virtual destruction of the British film industry and a widespread vinyl shortage. Poland knocked England out of the World Cup with a one all draw at Wembley. This failure to reach the final stages of a tournament that England had won just seven years previously may seem insignificant. But, just as that famous 'some people are on the pitch' victory in 1966 appeared to encapsulate the spirit of an age - when England (and, specifically, London) was, literally, on top of the world - so the gloom that settled over the country during the winter of 1973-74, with its three-day weeks, power cuts, industrial disputes and cod war with Iceland, was inextricably tied to the failing fortunes of Sir Alf Ramsey's ageing side. So, you see, it really was all Norman Hunter's fault. The most feared tackler in English football mistimed a challenge on Robert Gadocha by the touchline and the ball was centred to unmarked Jan Domarski, whose low shot went under the diving Peter Shilton. Allan Clarke equalised with a penalty eight minutes later but England were unable to force a winner past the eccentric but brilliant Polish goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski (infamously dubbed 'a clown' by Brian Clough on ITV's coverage). England were denied victory when substitute Kevin Hector, making his England debut, headed wide in the final minute. Having already qualified Scotland cared not a stuff that they lost their final group game, one-nil to Czechoslovakia in Bratislava. Zdenek Nehoda scored with a penalty. Hibernioan's John Blackley made his international debut, as did Donald Ford of Heart of Midlothian as a substitute.
The Who's Quadrophenia, David Bowie's Pin-Ups, Mandingo's Sacrifice, Ringo Starr's 'Photograph'/'Down & Out', Paul McCartney & Wings' 'Helen Wheels'/'Country Dreamer', Sister Sledge's 'Mama Never Told Me'/'Neither One Of Us (Want's To Be The First To Say Goodbye)', The Osmonds' 'Let Me In'/'One Way Ticket To Anywhere', Ray Martin & His Orchestra's 'Theme From The Big Match (La Soiree)'/'Stanza' and The Wailers' Burnin' released. President Nixon attempted a legal manoeuvre to avoid handing over the subpoenaed White House tapes to Archibald Cox by suggesting Senator John Stennis would 'summarise' the tapes for investigators. Cox refused the offer the following day giving Nixon an excuse he had been looking for to sack Cox. Sydney Pollock's The Way We Were and Don Siegel's Charley Varrick - starring Walter Matthau, Andy Robinson and Joe Don Baker - premiered.
Leeds United - still unbeaten in the league - defeated Liverpool one-nil at Elland Road with a goal from Mick Jones to move eight points ahead of the reigning champions. A large crowd demonstrated at Derby before the start of their game against Leicester, calling for the reinstatement of Brian Clough, who was in the stands but left shortly after kick-off. Derby won the game two-one. Malcolm Macdoland scroed twice as Newcastle United beat Chelsea two-nil. Stan Bowles also got a pair as Queen's Park Rangers won four-two at Wolverhampton. Manchester United beat bottom side Birmingham thanks to an Alex Stepney penalty. The goalkeeper was, currently, the club's joint-top scorer with two goals (both penalties) and, indeed, would remain so until 29 December when Lou Macari scored his third goal of the season. The Dalai Lama made his first visit to the UK. The so-called Saturday Night Massacre occurred as President Nixon ordered first the Attorney General Elliot Richardson and then his deputy, William Ruckelshaus to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. They both refused to comply and resigned their positions. Solicitor General Robert Bork, third in command at the Justice Department, considered resigning but carried out the President's order. The Sydney Opera House was opened by Queen Elizabeth after fourteen years of construction work.
Peter Nichols's The Common broadcast as part of the Play Of The Month strand.
The World In Action episode The Squeeze broadcast.
John Hale's Ego Hugo broadcast on BBC2. The eight-day saga of Brian Clough and Derby County, which had seen numerous protests by the club's fans calling for Clough's reinstatement and a threatened strike by the players, ended when Dave Mackay resigned as Nottingham Forest manager to take charge of his old club. Jonathan Livingston Seagull premiered.
Jimmy O'Connor's Her Majesty's Pleasure - with John Bindon and Bob Hoskins - broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. The Yom Kippur War ended in a ceasefire. Nina Companeez's L'histoire Très Bonne Et Très Joyeuse De Colinot Trousse-Chemise - starring Francis Huster, Nathalie Delon, Brigitte Bardot, Bernadette Lafont and Ottavia Piccolo - premiered.
Paul McCartney & Wings' 'Helen Wheels'/'Sally G', The Gary Mann Orchestra's 'Theme From The Big Match (La Soiree)'/'News Scoop (Former Theme From Grandstand)', Roy Castle's 'Record Breaker'/'Dedication', Humble Pie's 'Oh La De Da'/'The Outcrowd', Denise La Salle's 'Trapped By A Thing Called Love'/'I'm Over You', Curtis Mayfield's 'Back To The World'/'The Other Side Of Town', Bees Make Honey's 'Knee Trembler'/'Caldonia' and Mungo Jerry's 'Wild Love'/'Glad I'm A Rocker' released. The first episode of Billy Liar broadcast on LWT. The ifrst UK TV showing of The Pleasure Girls on Yorkshire.
Brian Glover's If A Man Answers broadcast as part of BBC2's Second City Firsts strand. John Lennon's Mind Games released. John Frankenheimer's adaptation of The Iceman Cometh - starring Lee Marvin, Fredric March, Robert Ryan and Jeff Bridges - and Peter Hall's The Homecoming - starring Paul Rogers, Ian Holm, Cyril Cusack, Terence Rigby, Michael Jayston and Vivien Merchant - premiered. The first episode of Tell Tarby broadcast on Thames. The World In Action episode The Squeeze Part Two broadcast.
In the Third Round of the League Cup, Plymouth Argyle caused an upset winning at First Division Burnley. The first episode of Marked Personal broadcast on Thames.
The nasty U-Boat captain (Philip Madoc) threatened to put Pike's name on 'Ze-List' in Dad's Army. Exeter City won three-one at West Bromwich Albion in another surprising League Cup result. Three Provisional IRA members - Seamus Twomey, JB O'Hagan and Kevin Mallon - escaped from Mountjoy Prison in Dublin after a hijacked helicopter landed in the exercise yard and spirited them to freedom. Freddie Francis's Tales That Witness Madness premiered. The first episodes of The Tommy Cooper Hour and The World At War - A New Germany - broadcast on ITV.
Roxy Music's Stranded released. Brian Clough and Peter Taylor returned to football, accepting an offer to take charge of Third Division Brighton & Hove Albion. Leon Jaworski was appointed the new special prosecutor in the Watergate case. The first episode of Beryl's Lot broadcast on Thames.
Adriano Celentano's 'Prisencolinensinainciusol'/'Disc Jockey', The Real Thing's 'Check It Out'/'Humpty Dumpty', McGuinness Flint's 'Ride On My Rainbow'/'Virgin Mary', David Gates' 'Sail Around The World'/'Help Is On The Way', Roger Whittaker's 'Gone Away (Based On The Main Theme From The Belstone Fox)'/'I Would Be In Love (Anyway)', David Essex's 'Lamplight'/'We All Insane', Leo Sayer's 'The Show Must Go On'/'Tomorrow', Kathy Kirby's 'Singer With The Band'/'Hello Morning', Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes' 'The Love I Lost (Parts 1 & 2)', The Jackson Sisters' 'I Believe In Miracles'/'Day In The Blue' and Ringo Starr's best solo LP Ringo released. Don't bother with any of the others, they're all rubbish. Rauni Mollberg's Maa On Syntinen Laulu - starring Maritta Viitamäki, Pauli Jauhojärvi and Aimo Saukko - premiered.
NASA launched Mariner Ten toward Mercury (in March 1974, it became the first space probe to reach that planet). The number three engine of National Airlines Flight 27 exploded while the aircraft was over New Mexico. Fragments penetrated the fuselage, causing one - unnamed - passenger to be sucked from the plane; his body was found two years later. The aircraft landed safely. Alan Gibson's The Satanic Rites Of Dracula premiered. Ricky Wilde's 'I Am An Astronaut'/'The Hertfordshire Rock' released.
The first episode of Oranges & Lemons and the first UK broadcast of the Columbo episode Étude in Black on LWT. Jim O'Connolly's Mistress Pamela - starring Ann Michelle, Julian Barnes, Dudley Foster, Anna Quayle, Anthony Sharp, Rosemarie Dunham and Derek Fowlds - premiered.
Peter Crane's Assassin - starring Ian Hendry, Edward Judd, Frank Windsor, Ray Brooks and Mike Pratt - premiered. The World In Action episode Her Majesty's Opposition broadcast.
Alan Bennett's A Day Out broadcast on BBC2. The TV debut of Brinsley Schwarz - featuring Nick Lowe - on The Old Grey Whistle Test. Queens Park Rangers beat Sheffield Wednesday eight-two in the Football League Cup Third Round. Liverpool were knocked out of the European Cup, beaten two-one at Anfield by Red Star Belgrade.
The first episode of Wessex Tales broadcast on BBC2. The Congress overrode President Nixon's veto of The War Powers Resolution, which limited presidential power to wage war without congressional approval. The World At War: Distant War broadcast on ITV.
Peter Terson's The Ballad Of Ben Bagot broadcast as part of the Scene strand and John Bowen's The Emergency Channel broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand.
Mott The Hoople's 'Roll Away The Stone'/'Where Do You All Come From?', Gary Glitter's 'I Love You Love Me Love'/'Hands Up! It's A Stick Up', Steely Dan's 'My Old School'/'Pearl Of The Quarter', Jehosophat & Jones' 'Stuttering Bum'/'In The Summertime', Sandy Denny's 'Whispering Grass'/'Friends', Cliff Richard's 'Take Me High'/'Celestial Houses', Three Degrees' 'Dirty Ol Man'/'Can't You See What You're Doing To Me?' and John Lennon's 'Mind Games'/'Meat City' released. Carry On Girls - starring Sid James, Barbara Windsor, Joan Sim, Kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw, June Whitfield, Peter Butterworth, Jack Douglas, Patsy Rowland, Valerie Leon and Jimmy Logan and Domenico Paolella's Story Of A Cloistered Nun - starring Eleonora Giorgi, Catherine Spaak and Suzy Kendall - premiered.
George Best played his first match for Manchester United in fourteen months and scored in The Red Devils' two-one defeat at Tottenham.
Ken Hill's Wipers Three broadcast. Christopher Holme's adaptation of Muriel Spark's Not To Disturb broadcast on Radio Three. Egypt and Israel signed a United States-sponsored cease-fire accord. The first UK broadcast of the Columbo episode Dagger Of The Mind broadcast on LWT.
The first episode of The Terracotta Horse broadcast. Oxford United's chairman accused Jack Charlton of 'promoting anti-football' after Middlesbrough's two-victory over Oxford. 'I'm sick and tired of the negative tactics employed by teams like Middlesbrough,' he whinged. 'They stink!' The Soviet Union refused to play in Chile in a World Cup play-off, particularly as the game was scheduled to take place in the Estadio Nacional in Santiago which had housed political prisoners - many of whom suffered torture or were subsequently murdered - following Augusto Pinochet's violent right-wing coup in September. The game had been scheduled for 21 November and, on that date, the Chile team turned up, kick-off - against no opposition - and scored. FIFA - like the cowardly appeasers of fascists they were then and, indeed, still are - awarded the game to Chile. Miners began an overtime ban, whilst ambulance drivers began selective strikes. The first episodes of Michael Bentine's Potty Time and Robert's Robots broadcast on Thames.
The Football League advised all football clubs to bring forward the kick-off times of games due to the State of Emergency caused by the current miners strike, which forbade the use of floodlights.
Italy beat England one-nil in a friendly international at Wembley with a goal by Fabio Capello. It was Bobby Moore's one hundred and eighth - and final - appearance for the county. Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey. And, everyone got a day of school because of it. Eight members of the Provisional IRA - Dolours and Marian Price, Hugh Feeney, Gerry Kelly, Robert Walsh, Martin Brady, William Armstrong and Paul Holmes - were convicted of bombings which took place in London during March. The jury returned a not-guilty verdict on Roisin McNearney, a known IRA activist who was believed to have helped the police identify the other conspirators. As her verdict was handed down, the other defendants began to hum 'The Dead March'. Scotland shared a one-all draw with West Germany in a friendly international at Hampden, the third game organised to celebrate the Scottish FA's centenary. Big Jim Holton scored for the hosts with Uli Hoeneß equalising. Billy Bremner had a second-half penalty kick saved by Sepp Maier. Jinky Jim Smith, having the season of his life at Newcastle, played in his first international since 1968. Coventry City signed David cross from Norwich city for one hundred and fifty grand. The World At War: France Falls broadcast on ITV.
Jerry Carr, Bill Pogue and Ed Gibson began their eighty three day mission on board Sky Lab. T-Rex's 'Truck On (Tyke)'/'Sitting Here', Golden Earring's 'Radar Love'/'Just Like Vince Taylor', Tritons' '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'/'Drifter', Stealers Wheel's 'Star'/'What More Could You Want?', Major Lance's 'Sweeter'/'Wild & Free', The Esquires' 'My Sweet Baby'/'Henry Ralph' and Spike O'Brien's Circus' 'Poor Little Fred'/'Soggy Moggy Bogged Down Blues' released.
BBC2's Second House In Liverpool featured contributions from Roger McGough, Alun Owen, John McGrath, Willy Russell and David Lincoln reading extracts from Alan Bleasdale's short story Scully. Orson Welles was interviewed on Parkinson. Famously, Welles insisted that Michael Parkinson dispose of his list of pre-prepared questions, reassuring him, 'We'll talk instead. Much better!' President Nixon delivered his infamous 'I am not a crook' speech at a televised press conference at Disney World. One or two people even believed him. Manchester United lost again, three-two at Newcastle for whom nineteen year old George Hope - deputising for the injured Malcolm MacDonald - scored the winner.
The first episode of Hawkeye, The Pathfinder broadcast. The Netherlands qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1938 after a goalless draw with Belgium. Brian De Palma's Sisters - starring Margot Kidder and Jennifer Salt - and Peter Duffell's England Made Me - starring Peter Finch, Michael York and Hildegarde Neil - premiered.
The first UK broadcast of The Streets Of San Francisco broadcast on Thames. The World In Action episode An Accidental Death broadcast.
Plymouth Argyle caused another League Cup shock, winning three-nil at Queens Park Rangers in the Fourth Round. Newcastle's Scottish international Tony Green retired from football at the age of twenty seven following a knee cartilage injury sustained the previous year at Crystal Palace. He played only thirty three league games for The Magpies but is remembered by those who saw him as if he had played three hundred. United got their one hundred and fifty thousand pounds transfer fee back through insurance after Green's retirement, but it was little consolation. Manager Joe Harvey said: 'After they made Tony Green, they threw away the mould. I couldn't hope to buy a similar player, not even for twice the amount.' East German security chief - and convicted murderer - Erich Mielke received the second of his six Order of Karl Marx awards.
Sue Boyd's documentary By Way Of A Change about the band The Global Village Trucking Company and their Norfolk hippy commune broadcast. FA Cup holders Sunderland lost to league champions Liverpool in the League Cup Third Round. White House Watergate counsel Fred Buzhardt revealed the existence of an eighteen-and-a-half minute gap on the tape of the Nixon-Haldeman conversation of 20 June 1972. The White House was unable to explain the gap, although Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Woods, would later claim, unconvincingly, that she had 'accidentally' erased the material. The World At War: Alone broadcast on ITV.
Carl Monson's A Scream In The Streets - starring Joshua Bryant, Frank Bannon, Rosie Stone, Linda York and Brandy Lyman - premiered.
Uri Geller appeared on The Dimbleby Talk-In and bent a lot of spoons. Don Harper's Homo Electronicus' 'Doctor Who'/'World of Sport' and Fable's 'See My Face'/'Thick As A Plank' released.
T-Rex's 'Truck On (Tyke)'/'Sitting Here' released. Bob Latchford scored his second hat-trick in four days as Birmingham City beat Leicester City three-nil in the First Division. Walerian Borowczyk's Contes Immoraux - starring Lise Danvers, Fabrice Luchini, Charlotte Alexandra and Paloma Picasso - premiered at the BFI.
Greek dictator George Papadopoulos was ousted in a military coup led by Brigadier General Dimitrios Ioannidis. Katherine Merry Devine, aged fourteen, was abducted in Seattle. Her body was found the following month in the Capitol State Forest near Olympia, Washington. Though Ted Bundy was widely believed to be responsible for the murder, he told detective Robert Keppel that he had 'no knowledge' of the case. DNA analysis subsequently led to the arrest and conviction of William Cosden for Devine's murder in 2002.
Peter Walker, the Secretary for Trade and Industry, warned that petrol rationing may have to be introduced 'in the near future' as a result of the oil crisis in the Middle East which was restricting petrol supply. Elton John's 'Step Into Christmas'/'Ho, Ho, Ho, (Who'd Be A Turkey At Christmas?)' released. The World In Action episode Drug Squad broadcast.
The UK TV debut of The New York Dolls on The Old Grey Whistle Test - performing 'Jet Boy' and 'Looking For A Kiss' - after which Whispering Bob Harris sneered 'mock-rock!' Was it any wonder Sid Vicious and Jah Wobble went after him with a rusty bike chain at The Speakeasy four years later? Luton Town signed Jimmy Husband from Everton for eighty thousand quid.
In an FA Cup Second Round replay, Isthmian League Walton & Hersham embarrassingly thrashed Brian Clough's Brighton & Hove Albion at Goldstone Ground four-nil. Striker Clive Foskett scored an eight minute hat-trick. Following the defeat, Clough almost got into a fist-fight with the comedian Eric Sykes, who was associated with Brighton at the time and was laughing about the result to a friend during a phone call which Clough overheard. The World At War: Barbarossa broadcast on ITV.
Tony Perrin's Shutdown broadcast as part of the Play For Today strand. Ryan Joseph Wilson born in Cardiff.
The first episode of The Camera & The Song broadcast on BBC2. Wizzard's 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday'/'Rob Roy's Nightmare (A Bit More HA)', The Faces' 'Pool Hall Richard'/'I Wish It Would Rain (With A Trumpet)', John Keating's 'Beyond The Universe'/'Winterlude' and Stevie Wonder's 'Living For The City'/'Visions' released. Leicester City signed Steve Earle from Fulham for one hundred thousand notes.
Leeds United, without a league title since 1969, were seven points clear at the top of the First Division and still unbeaten, following a two-two draw with Queens Park Rangers. Newcastle United, Burnley, Everton and Liverpool led the chasing pack. Birmingham City, Norwich City and West Ham United remained at the foot of the table. In the Third Division things went from bad to worse for Brian Clough as Brighton were given an eight-two hiding at home by Bristol Rovers for whom Bruce Bannister and Alan Warboys ('Smash and Grab!') scored seven between them. With thirty postponements across England and Scotland due to bad weather, the Pools Panel met for the first time. The Goodies episode Camelot broadcast. The first UK broadcast of the Columbo episode A Stitch In Crime broadcast on LWT.
Pioneer Ten sent back the first close-up images of Jupiter. The World In Action episode Chile: The Reckoning broadcast.
Last Night, Another Soldier ... broadcast. Arsenal were fined two thousand pounds by the football authorities for making an illegal approach to two Queens Park Rangers players, Gerry Francis and Phil Parkes. Pioneer Ten made its closest approach to Jupiter.
Paul McCartney & Wings' Band On The Run released. Newcastle United beat Birmingham City three-one in the Texaco Cup despite playing eighty nine minutes with ten men after Jimmy Smith was sent off fifty three seconds into the match following a nasty tackle that left Tony Want with a broken leg. The oil crisis caused the speed limit on motorways to be reduced to fifty miles per hour from seventy until further notice. Sidney Lumet's Serpico - starring Al Pacino - and Peter Newbrook's The Asphxy - starring Robert Stephens, Robert Powell and Jane Lapotaire - premiered. The World At War: Banzai! broadcast on ITV.
The House of Representatives voted to confirm Gerald Ford as Vice President of the United States; he was sworn in the same day. Joseph McGrath's Digby, The Biggest Dog In The World - starring Jim Dale, Angela Douglas and Spike Milligan - premiered.
Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody'/'Don't Blame Me', The Isley Brothers' 'Highways Of My Life'/'Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight' and The Monty Python Matching Tie & Handkerchief released. David Askey's Take Me High - starring Cliff Richard, Deborah Watling and George Cole and José Ramón Larraz's The House That Vanished (aka Scream ... & Die!) - starring Andrea Allan and Karl Lanchbury - premiered. Norwich City signed Ted MacDougall from West Ham United for one hundred and forty five thousand quid.
The first episode of Vienna 1900 broadcast on BBC2. The Goodies episode Invasion Of The Moon Creatures broadcast. The first UK broadcast of the Columbo episode Double Shock broadcast on LWT.
Northern Ireland Secretary Willie Whitelaw signed the power-sharing Sunningdale Agreement despite loud Loyalist opposition. Graham Paddon moved from Norwich City to West Ham united for one hundred and sixty thousand smackers.
The Treaty of Prague was signed by the Federal Republic of Germany and Czechoslovakia, in which the two States recognised each other diplomatically and declared the 1938 Munich Agreements to be 'null and void,' acknowledging the inviolability of their common borders and abandoning all territorial claims. Richard Lester's adaptation of The Three Musketeers - starring Oliver Reed, Charlton Heston, Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Richard Chamberlain, Frank Finlay, Michael York, Roy Kinnear and Christopher Lee - premiered. Alan Hull was in session on Radio 1's Sounds Of The Seventies. As was Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance ('Ooh La La', 'Careless Love', 'Flags & Banners', 'How Come'). The World In Action special The Year Of The Torturer broadcast.
Five headed goals gave Tottenham a five-one win the UEFA Cup against Dynamo Tiblisi. Ipswich also progressed, with a two-one win at FC Twente Ensahde. But Leeds lost three-two to Vitoria Setubal. Hal Ashby's The Last Detail premiered. The World At War: On Our Way broadcast.
Ted Heath announced the start of the Three Day Week. Lou Reizner presented a second orchestral stage version of Tommy at The Rainbow Theatre, over two nights with a cast that included Roger Daltrey, David Essex, Elkie Brooks, Marsha Hunt, Vivian Stanshall, Roy Wood, Bill Oddie and Jon Pertwee. Rudolf Zehetgruber's Ein Käfer Auf Extratour - starring Sal Borgese, Kathrin Oginski, Ruth Jecklin and Evelyne Kraft - premiered.
Yes's painfully rotten Tales From Topographic Oceans released. Eighty minutes of a fat man farting would have been more harmonically interesting. The government insisted that all football games must be played in daylight and no private generators could be used to power floodlights during the State of Emergency caused by the energy crisis and the national rail strike.
The first appearances of The Sontarans and Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who. The Goodies episode Hospital For Hire broadcast.
Shaw's Pygmalion broadcast as part of the Play Of The Month strand. OJ Simpson of the Buffalo Bills became the first running back to rush for two thousand yards in a pro football season. Franklin Schaffner's Papillon - starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman - premiered.

Palestinian terrorists attacked the terminal building at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, killing two people. They then threw grenades through the open doors of the Pan American World Airways Boeing Clipper Celestial, with one hundred and seventy seven people on board, which was preparing to taxi for departure; thirty people on the plane died and twenty were injured. Five other gunmen stormed a Lufthansa Boeing 737, bringing aboard ten hostages and also taking hostage the crew. The government imposed early close-downs of all three television channels including ITV in order to save electricity during the Three Day Week crisis. The early close-downs forced ITV to end their broadcasting day at 10:30pm, thus losing the network a lot of advertising revenue. The restrictions were lifted temporarily on Christmas Eve to allow the public to 'enjoy' festive programming. This right shit state of affairs recommenced on Monday 7 January and ended on 8 February 1974.
The Outspan Mini - a car that looked like an orange - featured on an episode of BBC2's Wheelbase. It was accompanied by a - tragically now long-forgotten - song which included the lyric 'if all the cars were oranges it wouldn't be a jam/it would be a marmalade!' After sixteen hours on the ground, during which time they murdered one hostage and injured another, Palestinian terrorists who attacked Rome airport the previous day dumped the injured hostage and the body of the murdered hostage off the Lufthansa plane and ordered it to fly to Athens; the plane spent another sixteen hours on the ground in Athens before proceeding to a landing at Damascus. Finally, the 737 flew to Kuwait, where the five hijackers released the remaining hostages and were allowed to leave the plane. Over a year later, the hijackers were eventually placed in the custody of the PLO, which has promised to put them on trial for carrying out 'an unauthorised operation'; their subsequent fate remains unknown. Federico Fellini's Amarcord - starring Bruno Zanin and Magali Noel - premiered.
In the League Cup, Plymouth knocked out a third First Division opponent, winning two-one at Birmingham City in the Fifth Round. In the second leg of the Texaco Cup Semi Final, Newcastle United overcame a two-goal first leg deficit, beating Dundee United four-one. The Football Association asked the Home Office for special permission to stage matches on Sundays during the current State of Emergency and ignore the Sunday Observance Act. A train from Paddington to Oxford was derailed between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing resulting in ten dead and ninety four injured. David Hemmings's The Fourteen - starring Jack Wild, June Brown, Liz Edmiston, Diana Beevers, Cheryl Hall, Anna Wing, Alun Armstrong and Keith Buckley - premiered. The World At War: The Desert broadcast on ITV.
The Spanish prime minister Luis Carrero Blanco was assassinated in Madrid by the Basque separatist terrorist organisation ETA. Gordon Hessler's The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad - starring John Phillip Law, Tom Baker, Takis Emmanuel, Caroline Munro, Douglas Wilmer and Martin Shaw - premiered.
The Geneva Conference opened under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary General, in an attempt to negotiate a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The first episode of The Stanley Baxter Big Picture Show broadcast on LWT.
OPEC doubled the price of crude oil.
The first episode of Sporting Scenes - England, Their England, directed by Stephen Frears - broadcast on BBC2.
The Goodies & The Beanstalk broadcast on BBC2. The Cornet Lesson broadcast as part of the Centre Play strand. Mohammad Mohammadullah became Acting President of Bangladesh. West Ham United signed Mick McGiven from Sunderland for thirty thousand notes. No one knew why.
Lost Hearts broadcast as part of the A Ghost Story For Christmas strand. Also the Christmas Pantomime, Robin Hood, featuring Anita Harris, Terry Scott, Billy Dainty and Freddie Parrot Face Davies (as Samuel Tweet). The first UK TV showing of Hammer's Quatermass & The Pit. George Roy Hill's The Sting and Torgny Wickman's Anita - starring Christina Lindberg, Stellan Skarsgård and Danièle Vlaminck - premiered. John Peel's XMas Top Gear featured sessions by Bob Marley & The Wailers ('Kinky Reggae', 'Can't Blame The Youth', 'Get Up Stand Up'), The Shadows ('Nivram', 'Jungle Jam', 'Turn Around & Touch Me', 'Wonderful Land') and Elton John & His Pub Piano ('Dylan Medley', 'Pub Medley', 'Christmas Medley', 'Daniel', 'Your Song'). Tommy Cooper's Christmas broadcast on Thames.
Paul and Linda McCartney hosted the Boxing Day episode of Disney Time. Emerson Lake & Palmer appeared on The Old Grey Whistle Test. So, that would have been worth avoiding. Leeds United won one-nil at Newcastle thanks to a goal by Paul Madeley to maintain their unbeaten record and move nine points clear at the top of the First Division. The Exorcist - directed by William Friedkin and starring Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow and Linda Blair - premiered in America. Brian Izzard's Holiday On The Buses - starring Reg Varney, Anna Karen, Doris Hare, Michael Robbins, Bob Grant and Stephen Lewis - premiered. Eric Idle's Radio Five broadcast on Radio 1.
Twenty one-year-old student Lucy Partington - a cousin of the novelist Martin Amis - ws abducted by the serial killers Fred and Rosemary West. She became one of their victims soon afterwards, but her fate was unknown until her remains were discovered in 1994.
Candlewick Green's 'Who Do You Think You Are?'/'Fingers In Your Ears' released.
The first UK TV showing of Roger Corman's The Masque Of The Red Death in BBC2's Midnight Movies strand. The Goodies episode The Stone Age broadcast.
The first episode of Romark broadcast. Terrorist assassin Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (Carlos The Jackal) failed in his attempt to assassinate businessman and vice president of the British Zionist Federation, Joseph Sieff in St John's Wood. Despite being shot in the face at point blank range, Sieff survived his injuries.
The first episode of Superstars broadcast. As a result of coal shortages caused by industrial action, the Three-Day Week electricity consumption reduction measure came into force at midnight. Bristol City signed Paul Cheesley from Norwich City for thirty thousand quid and Stewart Houston moved from Brentford to Manchester United for fifty five grand.