- January 8
- 29 pilot whales beach themselves and die at San Clemente Island, California. [1]
- Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota established. [1]
- January 12
- US Federal grand jury indicts Reverand Philip Berrigan and five others, including a nun and two priests, on charges of plotting to kidnap Henry Kissinger. [1]
- January 23
- Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska, (north of Fairbanks) reaches a US record low temperature of -80 degrees F. [1] [32.23]
- January 25
- Charles Manson and three women followers convicted of Tate-LaBianca murders. [1]
- January 31
- Apollo 14 launched to the Moon. [1]
- February 4
- National Guard mobilized to quell rioting in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. [1]
- February 5
- Apollo 14, third US manned Moon expedition, lands near Fra Mauro; Alan Shepard and Edward Mitchell walk on Moon for four hours. [1] [5]
- February 6
- First time a golf ball is hit on the Moon (by Alan Shepard). [1]
- February 8
- The Nasdaq stock market index debuts. [5]
- February 9
- Apollo 14 returns to Earth. [1]
- In San Fernando, California, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurs. The earthquake lasts about 60 seconds, kills 65, injures more than 2,000, and causes property damage estimated at $505 million. [1] [53]
- February 10
- American Mensa, Ltd incorporates in New York. [1]
- US Secretary of the Treasury David M. Kennedy resigns. [640.65]
- February 11
- US, United Kingdom, USSR, others sign Seabed Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons. [1]
- Whitney Young Jr, US National Urban League director, drowns in Nigeria. [1]
- February 14
- US President Richard Nixon installs secret taping system in White House. [1]
- February 20
- National Emergency Center erroneously orders US radio and TV stations to go off the air; the mistake isn't resolved for 30 minutes. [1]
- February 21
- Series of tornadoes cuts through Mississippi and Louisiana killing 117. [1]
- February 25
- Oh! Calcutta! opens at Belasco Theater in New York City for 1,316 performances. [1]
- March 1
- Bomb attack on the Capitol in Washington DC. [1]
- March 4
- "City Command" kidnaps four US military men at Ankara, Turkey. [1]
- March 10
- US Senate approves amendment lowering voting age to 18. [1]
- March 16
- 13th Grammy Awards: "Bridge over Troubled Water", Carpenters win. [1]
- March 17
- Edward Henry of Morristown, New Jersey, is first person to win US$1 million in a State lottery. [86.57]
- March 28
- 25th Tony Awards: Sleuth and Company win. [1]
- March 29
- American First Lieutenant William L Calley Jr found guilty in My Lai (Vietnam) massacre. [1]
- March 31
- American Lieutenant William L Calley Jr sentenced to life for My Lai Massacre. [1]
- From Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA launches a rocket with Canadian ISIS-B satellite into space, to conduct twelve experiments studying the ionosphere. [1] [242.1]
- April 7
- US President Richard Nixon orders Lieutenant Calley (My Lai) free. [1]
- WCJB TV channel 20 in Gainesville Florida (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting three-judge US Circuit Court of Appeals. [1]
- April 8
- First legal off-track betting system begins (OTB-New York). [1]
- In Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA a house is struck by a falling meteorite. [521]
- April 14
- Fort Point, San Francisco dedicated as a national historic site. [1]
- US President Richard Nixon ends blockade against People's Republic of China. [1]
- US Supreme Court upholds busing as means of achieving racial desegregation. [1]
- April 15
- 43rd Academy Awards - Patton, George C Scott and Glenda Jackson win. [1]
- April 19
- Senator Frank Church introduces a bill providing for two or more Bicentennial coins. [393.60]
- Charles Manson sentenced to life (Sharon Tate murder). [1]
- April 20
- US Supreme Court upholds use of bussing to achieve racial desegregation. [1]
- April 23
- Columbia University operations virtually end, by student strike. [1]
- April 25
- About 200,000 anti-Vietnam War protesters march on Washington DC. [1]
- US canal rights in Nicaragua and rights to Corn Islands expire. [1]
- April 26
- San Francisco lightship replaced by automatic buoy. [1]
- April 29
- Boeing receives contract for Mariner 10, Mercury exploration. [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- May 1
- Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) is formed to take over U.S. passenger rail service. [1] [5]
- May 3
- National Public Radio begins programming; 112 NPR stations premiere All Things Considered. [1]
- US federal administration arrests 13,000 anti-war protesters in three days. [1]
- May 5
- Race riot in Brownsville section of Brooklyn (New York City). [1]
- May 9
- In Los Angeles, California, the 23rd Annual Emmy Awards are presented, hosted by Johnny Carson.
- Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series: Hal Holbrook for The Bold Ones: The Senator
- Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: George C. Scott for "The Price" of ITV Saturday Night Theatre
- Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series: Jack Klugman for The Odd Couple
- Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series: Susan Hampshire for The First Churchills
- Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton for All in the Family
- Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Lee Grant for The Neon Ceiling
- Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy: Edward Asner for Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama: David Burns for "The Price" of ITV Saturday Night Theatre
- Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Comedy: Valerie Harper for Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Drama: Margaret Leighton for "Hamlet" of Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy: Jay Sandrich for episode "Toulouse Lautrec Is One Of My Favorite Artists" of Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction and Electronic Camerawork: Gordon Baird, Tom Ancell, Rick Bennewitz, Larry Bentley, and Jack Reader for The Andersonville Trial
- Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction of a Variety, Musical or Dramatic Program: Dominic Frontiere for Swing Out, Sweet Land
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music: Mark Warren for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program: Fielder Cook for "The Price" of ITV Saturday Night Theatre
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme: Daryl Duke for episode "The Day the Lion Died" of The Bold Ones: The Senator
- Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction: John Rook for "Hamlet" of Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music: Sterling Johnson for Peggy Fleming at Sun Valley
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama - Original Teleplay: Tracy Keenan Wynn and Marvin Schwartz for Tribes
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music: Bob Ellison and Marty Farrell for Singer Presents Burt Bacharach
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama - Adaptation: Saul Levitt for The Andersonville Trial
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy: James L. Brooks and Allan Burns for episode "Support Your Local Mother" of Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in Variety or Music: Herbert Baker, Hal Goodman, Larry Klein, Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller, Norman Steinberg, and Flip Wilson for The Flip Wilson Show
- Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama: Joel Oliansky for episode "To Taste of Death But Once" of The Bold Ones: The Senator
- Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for News and Documentary Programming - Regularly Scheduled News Programs and Coverage of Special Events: Larry Travis for "Los Angeles Earthquake: Sylmar V.A. Hospital" of CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design - For a Dramatic Program or Feature Length Film, a Single Program of a Series or a Special Program: Peter Roden for "Hamlet" of Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design: Martin Baugh and David Walker for "Hamlet" of Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Mixing: Theodore Soderberg for Tribes
- Outstanding Achievement in Live or Tape Sound Mixing: Henry Bird for "Hamlet" of Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - For a Series or a Single Program of a Series: Michael Economou for episode "A Continual Roar of Musketry" of The Bold Ones: The Senator
- Outstanding Achievement in Video Tape Editing: Marco Zappia for Hee Haw
- Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing: Don Hall, Jack Jackson, Bob Weatherford, and Dick Jensen for Tribes
- Outstanding Single Program - Variety or Musical - Variety and Popular Music: Singer Presents Burt Bacharach
- Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition - For a Special Program: Walter Scharf for episode "The Tragedy of The Red Salmon" of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
- Outstanding Variety Series - Musical: The Flip Wilson Show
- Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition - For a Series or a Single Program of a Series (First Year of Music's Use Only): David Rose for episode "The Love Child" of Bonanza
- Outstanding Single Program - Variety or Musical - Classicial Music: "Leopold Stokowski" of NET Festival
- Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Documentary Programming - Programs: Robert Hughes for Arthur Penn, 1922-: Themes and Variants and Ronald Priessman for Making of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'
- Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement - Programs: Disneyland
- Outstanding Series - Comedy: All in the Family
- Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming - Programs: Sesame Street
- Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement - Individuals: Harvey Korman for The Carol Burnett Show
- Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming - Programs: Stuart Schulberg for Today
- Outstanding New Series: All in the Family
- Outstanding Series - Drama: The Bold Ones: The Senator
- Outstanding Variety Series - Talk: The David Frost Show
- Outstanding Achievement in Choreography: Ernie Flatt for The Carol Burnett Show
- Outstanding Single Program - Drama or Comedy: The Andersonville Trial
- Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming - Individuals: Burr Tillstrom for Kukla, Fran and Ollie
- Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming - For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television: Robert E. Collins for Peggy Fleming at Sun Valley
[1] [213]
- May 17
- Washington State bans sex discrimination. [1]
- May 18
- US President Richard Nixon rejects the 60 demands of Congressional Black Caucus. [1]
- May 21
- National Guard mobilized to quell riot in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. [1]
- May 30
- 36 hospitalized during Grateful Dead concert; after drinking LSD-laced apple juice. [1]
- US Mariner 9 launched (first satellite to orbit Mars). [1] [5]
- June 6
- Air West flight 706 collides with Navy Phantom jet over Los Angeles, 50 die. [1]
- June 10
- Eleven die in a train crash in Salem, Illinois. [1]
- June 12
- Tricia Nixon and Edward F Cox marry at White House. [1]
- June 13
- New York Times begins publishing "The Pentagon Papers". [1]
- June 15
- Vernon E Jordan Jr appointed executive director of National Urban League. [1]
- June 17
- At 11:13 AM, Disneyland welcomes its 100-millionth guest, Valerie Suldo of New Jersey. [6]
- June 19
- Mayor declares state of emergency in Columbus, Georgia, USA, for racial disturbance. [1]
- June 21
- 50,000 attend Celebration of Life rock concert, McCrea, Louisana. [1]
- June 28
- US Supreme Court overturns draft evasion conviction of Muhammad Ali. [1]
- June 30
- Ohio becomes the 38th state to approve of lowering the voting age to 18, thus ratifying 26th amendment. [1]
- July 5
- US 26th amendment certified (reduces voting age to 18). [1]
- July 6
- White House Plumbers unit formed to plug news leaks. [1]
- July 13
- The CBS TV network airs the last Hee Haw TV show in the USA. [179.420]
- July 15
- US President Richard Nixon announces he would visit People's Republic of China. [1]
- July 26
- Apollo 15 launched to the Moon. [1]
- July 30
- US Apollo 15 lands on Mare Imbrium on the Moon. [1]
- August 4
- US launches first satellite into lunar orbit from manned spacecraft. [1]
- August 7
- Apollo 15 returns to Earth. [1]
- August 15
- US President Richard Nixon's administration refuses to settle foreign debts in gold at $35 per ounce, dropping the gold standard, and allowing the dollar to float in foreign exchanges. The president also imposes a ten percent duty increase on many imports, and a 90-day wage and price freeze. [1] [240.5] [245] [484.110]
- August 20
- FBI begins covert investigation of journalist Daniel Schorr. [1]
- September 3
- Watergate team breaks into Daniel Ellsberg's doctor's office. [1]
- September 4
- Alaskan 727 crashes into Chilkoot Mountain, kills 109 (Alaska). [1]
- September 8
- John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opens in Washington DC. [1]
- September 9
- 1,000 convicts seize Attica, New York prison. [1]
- September 13
- Nine hostages and 28 prisoners die in take-over at Attica State Prison. [1]
- September 16
- Six Klansmen arrested in connection with bombing of ten school buses. [1]
- October 1
- The Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World Resort opens in Orlando, Florida. Similar to Disneyland, seven themed areas are Main Street, Adventureland, Bear Country, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Tomorrowland. Attendance on opening day is 10,000. First guest to enter the park is William Windsor, Jr. Cost of creating the theme park was US$400 million. [5] [6]
- October 14
- Two killed in Memphis, Tennessee racial disturbances. [1]
- October 16
- Amphitheater in McLaren Park is dedicated in San Francisco, California. [1]
- October 21
- US President Richard Nixon nominates Lewis F Powell and William H Rehnquist to US Supreme Court, following resignations of Justices Hugo Black and John Harlan. [1]
- October 25
- Roy Disney dedicates Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. [1]
- October 29
- The NBC TV network airs the TV special Grand Opening of Walt Disney World. Approximately 52 million people in the US view the 90-minute show. [6]
- November 6
- The United States Atomic Energy Commission tests the largest U.S. underground hydrogen bomb, code-named Cannikin, on Amchitka Island in the Aleutians. [5]
- November 10
- The US Mint releases Eisenhower copper-nickel dollar coins to circulation. [1] [304.24] [434.15]
- November 13
- The American space probe Mariner 9 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, swinging into its planned trajectory around Mars without a hitch. [1] [5]
- November 24
- Dan "DB" Cooper parachutes from a Northwest Airlines 727 jet aircraft over Washington State, USA with US$200,000 ransom money, never to be seen again. [1] [563.34]
- Prison rebellion at Rahway State Prison in New Jersey. [1]
- December 3
- US President Richard Nixon commutes Jimmy Hoffa's jail term. [1]
- December 9
- Lewis F Powell Jr appointed to the US Supreme Court. [1]
- December 10
- William H Rehnquist confirmed as US Supreme Court justice. [1]
- December 14
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- December 19
- The USA devalues the dollar and realigns exchange rates. [607.30]
- NASA launches Intelsat 4 F-3 for COMSAT Corp. [1]
- December 31
- Lieutenant General Robert E Cushman, Jr, US Marine Corp, ends term as deputy director of US Central Intelligence Agency. [1]
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