1973 facts for kids

1973 was a very important year with many big events happening around the world. It was a time of change in politics, sports, and music. Many famous people were born this year, and some well-known figures passed away.

Big Events of 1973

January: New Beginnings and Peace Talks

• On January 1, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark joined the European Economic Community. This group is now known as the European Union, which is a partnership of many European countries working together.
• The Vietnam War was a major conflict at this time. On January 15, President of the United States Richard Nixon announced that the U.S. would stop fighting in North Vietnam. This was because peace talks were making good progress.
• Just a few days later, on January 23, President Nixon shared even bigger news: a peace agreement had been reached for Vietnam!
• The U.S. officially ended its involvement in the Vietnam War on January 27 when peace agreements were signed. These were called the Paris Peace Accords.
• In sports, George Foreman won the heavyweight world boxing championship by defeating Joe Frazier on January 22.
• A volcano started erupting in Heimaey, an island in Iceland, on January 23.

September: Changes in Leadership

• On September 11, Augusto Pinochet took control in Chile after a military takeover. The country's president, Salvador Allende, died during this event.
• Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden became the new King of Sweden on September 15.

Other Important Happenings

• The famous rock band KISS formed in New York City this year.
• Japan made its first video game, called Elepong.

People Born in 1973

Many people who would become famous were born in 1973. Here are some of them:

• January 8 – Sean Paul, a Jamaican reggae singer.
• January 22 – Rogério Ceni, a Brazilian football player.
• February 16 – Cathy Freeman, an Aboriginal Australian athlete who became very famous.
• March 22 – Elvis Stojko, a Canadian figure skater.
• April 8 – Emma Caulfield, an American actress.
• April 14 – Adrien Brody, an American actor.
• April 23 – John Cena, an American professional wrestler and actor.
• May 24 – Ruslana, a Ukrainian singer.
• June 10 – Faith Evans, an American singer.
• July 15 – John Dolmayan, an Armenian-American drummer for the band System of a Down.
• July 23 – Monica Lewinsky, who worked at the White House.
• September 13 – Fabio Cannavaro, an Italian footballer.
• October 22 – Ichiro Suzuki, a professional baseball player for the Seattle Mariners.
• October 30 – Adam Copeland, a Canadian professional wrestler.
• December 3 – Holly Marie Combs, an American actress.

Famous People Who Passed Away in 1973

The year 1973 also saw the passing of several well-known individuals:

• January 22 – Lyndon B. Johnson, who was the 36th President of the United States.
• April 8 – Pablo Picasso, a very famous Spanish painter and sculptor.
• July 20 – Bruce Lee, a Chinese-American actor and amazing martial artist.
• September 2 – J. R. R. Tolkien, an English writer famous for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
• September 11 – Salvador Allende, the President of Chile.
• September 15 – Víctor Jara, a Chilean singer.
• September 23 – Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet.
• December 1 – David Ben-Gurion, who was the first Prime Minister of Israel.
• December 20 – Bobby Darin, an American singer.

Popular Movies of 1973

Some exciting movies were released in 1973:

• American Graffiti
• Enter the Dragon
• Magnum Force
• The Exorcist
• The Sting

Hit Songs of 1973

The music charts were full of great songs in 1973. Here are some of the biggest hits:

• "Killing Me Softly with His Song" by Roberta Flack
• "Radar Love" by Golden Earring
• "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple
• "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon
• "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce
• "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John
• "D'yer Mak'er" by Led Zeppelin
• "Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winter Group
• "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John
• "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder
• "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
• "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney and Wings
• "My Love" by Paul McCartney and Wings
• "Over the Hills and Far Away" by Led Zeppelin
• "Photograph" by Ringo Starr
• "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
• "Tie a Yellow Ribbon around the Old Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando & Dawn
• "Top of the World" by Carpenters

Images for kids

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  Sears Tower

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  Saint Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore

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  La Moneda Palace being bombed during the 1973 Chilean coup d'état on September 11th.

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  October 20: Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II.

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  October 30: Bosphorus Bridge was opened by Turkish President Fahri Korutürk.

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  The Mariner 10 space probe, shown on a U.S. stamp.

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  Sean Paul

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  Ruslana

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  Lyndon B. Johnson

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  Pablo Picasso

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  Bruce Lee

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  Fulgencio Batista

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  Salvador Allende

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  Paavo Nurmi

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  David Ben-Gurion

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  Bobby Darin

See also

In Spanish: 1973 para niños