Rancho High School Alumni Association

World Events

Encouraged by Chairman Mao Zedong, the Cultural Revolution begins in China.
OPEC ends the oil embargo begun in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War (Mar. 18).
Nixon and Brezhnev meet in Moscow to discuss arms limitation agreements. Background: nuclear disarmament
Leftist revolution ends almost 50 years of dictatorial rule in Portugal (launched Apr. 25).
India successfully tests an atomic device, becoming the world's sixth nuclear power (May 18).
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is deposed. A collective military dictatorship assumes power (Sept. 12).

U.S. Events

Randolph Hearst, kidnapped by Symbionese Liberation Army (Feb. 5).
House Judiciary Committee adopts three articles of impeachment charging President Nixon with obstruction of justice, failure to uphold laws, and refusal to produce material subpoenaed by the committee (July 30).
Richard M. Nixon announces he will resign the next day, the first President to do so (Aug. 8).
Vice President Gerald R. Ford of Michigan is sworn in as 38th President of the US (Aug. 9).
Ford grants "full, free, and absolute pardon" to ex-President Nixon (Sept. 8).

Economics

US GDP (1998 dollars):   $1,496.90 billion
Federal spending:   $269.36 billion
Federal debt:   $483.9 billion
Median Household Income
(current dollars):  $11,197
Consumer Price Index:   49.3
Unemployment:   5.6%
Cost of a first-class stamp:   $0.08 ($0.10 as of 3/2/74)

Sports

Super Bowl
Miami d. Minnesota (24-7)

World Series
Oakland A's d. LA Dodgers (4-1)

NBA Championship
Boston d. Milwaukee (4-3)

Stanley Cup
Philadelphia d. Boston (4-2)

Wimbledon
Women: Chris Evert d. O. Morozova (6-0 6-4)
Men: Jimmy Connors d. K. Rosewall (6-1 6-1 6-4)

Kentucky Derby Champion
Cannonade

NCAA Basketball Championship
N.C. State d. Marquette (76-64)

NCAA Football Champions
Oklahoma (AP) (11-0-0) & USC (UPI, FW, NFF) (10-1-1)

World Cup
W. Germany d. Holland (2-1)

Entertainment

Events

Patti Smith releases what is considered to be the first punk rock single, "Hey Joe."
People magazine debuts, with Mia Farrow gracing the cover.
Premier Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov defects and joins the American Ballet Theatre.

Movies

Chinatown, The Godfather Part II, Day for Night, Blazing Saddles, The Towering Inferno

Music

Patti Smith, "Hey Joe"

Books

Robert Creeley, Sitting Here
Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Gail Godwin, The Odd Woman
Stephen King, Carrie
Toni Morrison, Sula
Grace Paley, Enormous Changes at the Last Minute
Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Gary Snyder, Turtle Island

Science

For safety reasons, the National Academy of Sciences calls for a temporary ban on some types of genetic engineering research.
A new elementary particle psi (now called J) is discovered by Burton Richter of Stanford University.

Deaths

Bud Abbott
Dizzy Dean
Duke Ellington
Charles Lindbergh
Ed Sullivan