- January 8
- US Judge Sirica orders release of Watergate's John W Dean III, Herbert W Kalmbach and Jeb Stuart Magruder from prison. [1]
- January 12
- Caryn Campbell disappears from Snowmass, Colorado, USA (Ted Bundy victim). [1]
- January 14
- USSR breaks trade agreement with US. [1]
- January 15
- Space Mountain opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. [1]
- February 1
- Otis Francis Tabler is first open homosexual to get security clearance to work for the US Defense Department. [1]
- February 2
- Off Alaska, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. [53]
- February 6
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- February 21
- John Mitchell, former Chief of Staff Harry R Haldeman, and John D Ehrlichman sentenced to 2.5-8 years. [1]
- February 27
- US House of Representatives pass US$21.3 billion anti-recession tax-cut bill. [1]
- February 28
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- March 1
- 17th Grammy Awards: "I Honestly Love You", Marvin Hamlisch win. [1]
- March 5
- The Homebrew Computer Club, an early computer hobbyist club in Silicon Valley, meets for the first time. Its members include several future high-profile hackers and IT entrepreneurs, including the founders of Apple Inc. [5]
- March 7
- US Senate revises filibuster rule, allows 60 senators to limit debate. [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- March 15
- Julie Cunningham disappears from Vail, Colorado (Ted Bundy victim). [1]
- March 22
- Walt Disney World Shopping Village opens. [1]
- March 27
- Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System begins. [5]
- March 28
- In Eastern Idaho, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. [53]
- April 4
- US Air Force transport carrying orphans from Saigon, Vietnam crashes killing 155. [1]
- Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen. [5]
- April 6
- Denise Oliverson disappears from Grand Junction, Colorado (Bundy victim). [1]
- April 8
- 47th Academy Awards - Godfather II, Ellen Burstyn and Art Carney win. [1]
- April 20
- 29th Tony Awards: Equus and The Wiz win. [1]
- April 24
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- April 30
- Last US helicopter leaves US embassy grounds in Vietnam; Saigon surrenders. During the decade of fighting, 58,000 American soldiers died. [1] [35] [129]
- May 6
- Lynette Culver disappears from Pocatello, Idaho (Ted Bundy victim). [1]
- Early warnings provided by REACT (ham radio operators) means only three people die in tornado that strikes Omaha, Nebraska. [1]
- May 7
- US President Gerald Ford declares an end to "Vietnam Era". [1]
- May 12
- US merchant ship Mayaguez seized by Cambodian forces. [1]
- May 13
- Hail stones as large as tennis balls hit Wernerville, Tennessee. [1]
- May 14
- US forces raid Cambodian island of Koh Tang to free Mayaguez ship. [1]
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- May 17
- Los Angeles police raid the secret headquarters of the Symbionese Liberation Army, killing six of the group's nine known members. [129]
- May 19
- In Los Angeles, California, the 27th Annual Emmy Awards (primetime programming) are presented.
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy: Laurence Olivier for Love Among the Ruins
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Robert Blake for Baretta
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Tony Randall for The Odd Couple
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series: Peter Falk for the Columbo series of The NBC Mystery Movie
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Jean Marsh for Upstairs, Downstairs
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy: Katharine Hepburn for Love Among the Ruins
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series: Jessica Walter for Amy Prentiss
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Valerie Harper for Rhoda
- Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Variety or Music: Jack Albertson for Cher
- Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special: Anthony Quayle for QB VII
- Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Will Geer for The Waltons
- Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series: Patrick McGoohan for Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light
- Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Edward Asner for Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Betty White for Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music: Cloris Leachman for Cher
- Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special: Juliet Mills for QB VII
- Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Ellen Corby for The Waltons
- Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series: Zohra Lampert for episode Queen of the Gypsies of Kojak and Cloris Leachman for episode Phyllis Whips Inflation of Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Directing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series: Dave Powers for The Carol Burnett Show
- Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Gene Reynolds for episode O.R.. of M*A*S*H
- Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series: Bill Bain for episode A Sudden Storm of Upstairs, Downstairs
- Outstanding Directing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy: George Cukor for Love Among the Ruins
- Outstanding Directing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special: Bill Davis for An Evening with John Denver
- Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction: Ernie Buttelman, Jim Angel, Jim Balden, Ron Brooks, and Art LaCombe for The Missiles of October
- Outstanding Writing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy - Original Teleplay: James Costigan for Love Among the Ruins
- Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series: Ed Simmons, Gary Belkin, Roger Beatty, Arnie Kogen, Bill Richmond, Gene Perret, Rudy De Luca, Barry Levinson, Dick Clair, and Jenna McMahon for The Carol Burnett Show
- Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series: Howard Fast for episode The Ambassador of Benjamin Franklin
- Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special: Bob Wells, John Bradford, Cy Coleman for Shirley MacLaine: If They Could See Me Now
- Outstanding Writing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy - Adaptation: David W. Rintels for Clarence Darrow
- Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Ed Weinberger and Stan Daniels for episode Mary Richards Goes to Jail of Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming for a Series: Richard C. Glouner for Columbo: Playback
- Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming for a Special: David M. Walsh for Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
- Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design - For a Single Episode of a Comedy, Drama or Limited Series: Charles Lisanby and Robert Checchi for episode The Ambassador of Benjamin Franklin
- Outstanding Achievemnet in Art Direction or Scenic Design - For a Single Episode of a Comedy-Variety or Music Series or a Comedy-Variety or Music Special: Robert Kelly and Robert Checchi for Cher
- Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design: Guy C. Verhille for The Legend of Lizzie Borden and Margaret Furse for Love Among the Ruins
- Outstanding Achievement in Film or Tape Sound Mixing: Marshall King for The American Film Institute Salute to James Cagney
- Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming for a Special: Byron 'Buzz' Brandt and Irving Rosenblum for QB VII and John A. Martinelli for The Legend of Lizzie Borden
- Outstanding Achievement in Video Tape Editing: Gary Anderson and Jim McElroy for Judgment: The Court Martial of Lieutenant William Calley
- Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming for a Series - For a Single Episode of a Comedy Series: Douglas Hines for episode An Affair To Forget of Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming for a Series - For a Single Episode of a Drama Series: Donald R. Rode for episode Mirror, Mirror On The Wall of Petrocelli
- Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing: Marvin I. Kosberg, Richard Burrow, Milton C. Burrow, Jack Milner, Ron Ashcroft, James Ballas, Josef von Stroheim, Jerry Rosenthal, William Andrews, Edward L. Sandlin, David M. Horton, Alvin Kajita, Tony Garber, and Jeremy Hoenack for QB VII
- Outstanding Special - Comedy-Variety or Music: An Evening with John Denver
- Outstanding Classical Music Program: Profile in Music: Beverly Sills Festival
- Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Special: Jerry Goldsmith for QB VII
- Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series: The Carol Burnett Show
- Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series: Billy Goldenberg for episode The Rebel of Benjamin Franklin
- Outstanding Drama Series: Upstairs, Downstairs
- Outstanding Limited Series: Benjamin Franklin
- Outstanding Special - Drama or Comedy: The Law
- Outstanding Achievement in Any Area of Creative Technical Crafts: Edie Panda for episode The Ambassador of Benjamin Franklin
- Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design: Phill Norman for QB VII
- Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement: Masterpiece Theatre and The American Film Institute Salute to James Cagney
- Outstanding Comedy Series: Mary Tyler Moore
- Outstanding Children's Special: Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
- Outstanding Achievement in Choreography: Marge Champion for Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design - For a Dramatic Special or Feature Length Film Made for Television: Carmen Dillon and Tessa Davies for Love Among the Ruins
[1] [219]
- May 22
- The first legal numbers game in the USA is New Jersey State Lottery's "Pick-it", in which players choose their own 3-digit number in a daily drawing. [86.59] [187.388]
- June 9
- Fire in prison hospital kills ten prisoners and one guard (Sanford, Florida). [1]
- June 10
- Rockefeller panel reports on 300,000 illegal US Central Intelligence Agency files on Americans. [1]
- June 17
- Voters in Northern Mariana Island approve commonwealth status with US. [1]
- June 24
- Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 crashes at JFK Airport in New York, kills 113. [1]
- June 28
- Golfer Lee Trevino is struck by lightning at Western Open (Illinois). [1]
- June 29
- 20.57 cm (8.10 inches) of rainfall, Litchville, North Dakota (state 24-hour record). [1]
- July 4
- American bicentennial commemorative coins (quarter-dollar, half-dollar, and dollar) are released to circulation. [434.93]
- July 7
- Juneau, Alaska, reaches a record high temperature: 90 degrees F. [32.22]
- July 8
- US President Gerald Ford announces he will seek Republican nomination for president. [1]
- The US Mint releases 1776-1976 Bicentennial quarter dollars to circulation. [512.36]
- July 9
- In Western Minnesota, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake occurs. Felt over northern Iowa, Minnesota, southeastern North Dakota, and eastern South Dakota. [53]
- July 13
- 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) of rainfall in Dover, Delaware (US state record). [1]
- July 15
- Soyuz 19 and Apollo 18 launched; rendezvous two days later. [1]
- July 17
- American Apollo 18 and Soviet Soyuz 19 spacecraft dock with each other in orbit, marking the first such link-up between spacecraft from the two nations. [1] [5]
- July 19
- Apollo and Soyuz, linked in orbit for two days, separate. [1]
- July 22
- US House of Representatives votes to restore citizenship to General Robert E Lee. [1]
- July 24
- Apollo 18 returns to Earth. [1]
- July 25
- A Chorus Line, longest-running Broadway show (6,137), premieres. [1]
- July 29
- Gerald Ford becomes first US president to visit German concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland. [1] [37]
- July 30
- Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa disappears in suburban Detroit, Illinois. [1]
- August 1
- In Oroville, California, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurs. [53]
- August 3
- Louisiana Superdome is dedicated. [1]
- August 10
- David Frost purchases exclusive rights to interview US President Richard Nixon. [1]
- August 11
- US vetoes proposed admission of North and South Vietnam to United Nations. [1]
- August 20
- American Viking 1 launched toward orbit around Mars. [1]
- September 5
- Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme attempts to assassinate US President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, California. [1]
- September 8
- Boston, Massachusetts, begins court ordered bussing of public schools. [1]
- September 9
- Viking 2 is launched toward orbit around Mars. [1]
- September 14
- Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton canonized as first US-born saint. [1]
- September 17
- Rollout of first space shuttle orbiter Enterprise (OV-101). [1]
- September 18
- FBI captures heiress/bank robber Patricia Campbell Hearst in San Francisco, California. [1] [129]
- September 22
- Sara Jane Moore tries to assassinate US President Gerald Ford in San Francisco, California. [1]
- September 30
- Five drown in flash flood of sewer and water tunnel (Niagara Falls, New York). [1]
- October 9
- Emperor Hirohito of Japan visits San Francisco, California. [1]
- October 14
- The US Mint releases 1976 Bicentennial dollars to circulation. [553.36]
- President Gerald Ford escapes injury when his limousine is struck broadside. [1]
- October 26
- Anwar Sadat becomes first Egyptian president to officially visit the US. [1]
- October 30
- New York Daily News runs headline "Ford to City: Drop Dead". [1]
- November 12
- US Supreme Court Justice William O Douglas retires after 36 years. [1]
- November 26
- US Federal jury finds Lynette Fromme guilty of attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford. [1]
- November 29
- In Kalapana, Hawaii, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurs. [53]
- Kilauea Volcano erupts in Hawaii. [1]
- December 1
- US President Gerald Ford visits People's Republic of China. [1]
- December 6
- US President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger meet with Indonesian president Suharto, agreeing to a planned attack on East Timor. [240.45]
- December 9
- US President Gerald Ford signs US$2.3 billion loan-authorization for New York City. [1]
- December 12
- Sara Jane Moore pleads guilty to trying to kill US President Gerald Ford. [1]
- December 17
- Lynette Fromme is sentenced to life for attempt on US President Gerald Ford's life. [1]
- December 19
- John Paul Stevens becomes a US Supreme Court Justice. [1]
- December 23
- US Congress passes Metric Conversion Act. [1]
- Richard S Welch, US Central Intelligence Agency station chief in Athens, Greece, is shot dead. [1]
- December 29
- Eleven killed, 75 hurt by terrorist bomb at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, New York. [1]
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