1974 (MCMLXXIV) was .

Events 
February 7 – Grenada becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
March 3 – a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashes outside Paris, France, killing all 346 people on board; the cause of the crash was a design flaw in the plane's rear cargo door.
February 22 – Bangladesh is recognized by Pakistan
April 25 – Portuguese Revolution or the Carnation Revolution. – A half-century of fascist rule was ended.
May 18 – India tests nuclear weapons.
July 15- Christine Chubbock, a TV host in Sarasota, Florida commits suicide during the taping of her show live on air.
August 8 – United States President Richard Nixon announces his resignation (Watergate scandal).
December 8 – Greek voters reject a proposal to restore the Greek monarchy.
December 19 – Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh becomes the fifth President of Ireland, in a state inauguration in Dublin Castle
December 24-December 25 – Darwin, Australia almost completely destroyed by Cyclone Tracy

Births 
January 16 – Kate Moss, English model
January 21 – Linda Rosing, Swedish model
January 28 – Magglio Ordóñez, Venezuelan baseball player
January 30 – Christian Bale, Welsh actor
February 8 – Seth Green, American actor
February 8 – Kimbo Slice American mixed martial artist
February 13 – Robbie Williams, English singer
February 15 – Omarosa Manigault Newman, American television personality
February 22 – Chris Moyles, English disc jockey
March 6 – Anthony Carelli, American wrestler
March 13 – Linda Bengtzing, Swedish singer
March 24 – Alyson Hannigan, American actress
May 17 – Andrea Corr, Irish lead-singer of the music group The Corrs
May 23 – Ken Jennings, Jeopardy! champion
June 1 – Alanis Morissette, Canadian singer
July 28 – Justin Lee Collins, English television presenter
August 17 – Tomomi Kahala, Japanese singer
August 25 – Mario Jeckle, German computer scientist (d. 2004)
September 6 – Tim Henman, English tennis player
September 14 – Nas, American rapper
October 28 – Joaquin Phoenix, American actor
November 2 – Nelly, American rapper
November 11 – Leonardo DiCaprio, American actor
November 15 – Chad Kroeger, Canadian singer and guitarist
December 3 – Albena Denkova, Bulgarian ice dancer
December 6 – Jens Pulver, American mixed martial artist
December 10 – Meg White, American singer and drummer (The White Stripes)
December 13 – Sara Cox, English television presenter

Deaths 
January 6 – David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican painter (b. 1896)
January 31 – Samuel Goldwyn, movie producer (b. 1879)
April 24 – Bud Abbott, American actor and comedian (b. 1895)
July 1 – Juan Perón, President of Argentina (b. 1895)
July 24 – James Chadwick, English physicist (b. 1891)
August 26 – Charles Lindbergh, American pilot (b. 1902)
 Oskar Schindler, lucrative business man (b. 1908)

Nobel Prizes 
Nobel Prize in Physics – Sir Martin Ryle, Antony Hewish
Chemistry – Paul J Flory
Medicine – Albert Claude, Christian de Duve, George E Palade
Literature – Eyvind Johnson, Harry Martinson
Peace – Séan MacBride, Eisaku Sato
Economics – Gunnar Myrdal, Friedrich von Hayek

Movies released 
Blazing Saddles
Chinatown
Earthquake
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Towering inferno
The Longest Yard
Young Frankenstein

Hit songs 
"(You're) Having My Baby" Paul Anka & Odia Coates
"I Honestly Love You" – Olivia Newton-John
"Seasons in the Sun" – Terry Jacks
"Already Gone" – The Eagles
"Another Saturday Night" – Cat Stevens
"Band on the Run" – Paul McCartney & Wings
"Beach Baby" – First Class
"Best Of My Love" – The Eagles
"Billy, Don't Be a Hero" – Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
"Can't Get Enough" – Bad Company
"Caroline Says" – Lou Reed
"China Grove" – The Doobie Brothers
"Devil Gate Drive" – Suzi Quatro
"Diamond Dogs" – David Bowie
"Dirty Old Man" – The Three Degrees
"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" – Stevie Wonder
"Down Down" – Status Quo
"Honey, Honey" – ABBA
"I Know What I Like In Your Wardrobe" – Genesis
"It's Only Rock And Roll" – The Rolling Stones
"Jessica" – Allman Brothers Band
"Jet" – Paul McCartney and Wings
"Jungle Boogie" – Kool and the Gang
"Junior's Farm" – Paul McCartney & Wings
"Killer Queen" – Queen
"Kung Fu Fighting" – Carl Douglas
"Listen To The Music" – The Doobie Brothers
"Long Train Running" – The Doobie Brothers
"Love's Theme" – Love Unlimited Orchestra
"Machine Gun" – The Commodores
"Magic" – Pilot
"Midnight At The Oasis" – Maria Muldaur
"Midnight Rider" – Gregg Allman
"Money" – Pink Floyd
"Oh Very Young" – Cat Stevens
"Phil Spector's Christmas Single" – Various Artists
"Queen Of Clubs" – KC and the Sunshine Band
"Rebel Rebel" – David Bowie
"Rock And Roll Suicide" – David Bowie
"Samba Pa Ti" – Santana
"Shang-A-Lang" – Bay City Rollers
"Smokin' In The Boys Room" – Brownsville Station
"So Long" – ABBA
"Sugar Baby Love" – The Rubettes
"Summer Breeze" – The Isley Brothers
"Sweet Home Alabama" – Lynyrd Skynyrd
"The Bump" – Kenny
"The Love I Lost" – Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
"The Man Who Sold The World" – Lulu
"This Town's Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" – Sparks
"Tiny Dancer" – Elton John
"Walk On" – Neil Young
"Waterloo" – ABBA
"Whatever Gets You Through The Night" – John Lennon
"Wild Horses" – The Rolling Stones
"You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
"You're The First The Last My Everything" – Barry White