1974

1974 was a year marked by political upheaval and international changes. In the United States, the Watergate scandal culminated in President Richard Nixon's resignation, and Gerald Ford became president as the nation sought stability.

Nixon announced his resignation on August 8, 1974, effective August 9; Ford was sworn in as the 38th president. On September 8, Ford issued a presidential pardon for Nixon, a move that shaped political discourse in the years that followed.

Internationally, 1974 saw major upheavals that reshaped several regions. Portugal's Carnation Revolution on April 25 ended decades of dictatorship and began a transition to democracy. In the eastern Mediterranean, Turkish forces invaded Cyprus on July 20 after a coup, leading to sustained division of the island. In Africa, Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by the Derg in September 1974, initiating a period of political upheaval in Ethiopia.

Economic tensions persisted after the 1973 oil shock, with energy shortages affecting Western Europe and North America. The United Kingdom operated under a three-day workweek during the winter of 1973–74. On June 26, 1974, the first UPC barcode was scanned in a Marsh's Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, on a package of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum.

On the science and culture front, NASA's Mariner 10 conducted the first close flybys of Mercury in 1974. In sport, the 1974 FIFA World Cup was held in West Germany, with the hosts defeating the Netherlands 2–1 in the final.

Notable births in 1974 include actor Leonardo DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974).