1975

1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday in the Gregorian calendar.

 Events 
 January 28 – George Lucas creates the second draft of what would eventually become Star Wars. At this time, the title of the story was Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode One of The Star Wars.
 March – Production begins on Star Wars
 March 26 – The movie version of The Who's Tommy premiers in London
 July – In order to create the necessary special effects for his movie, Star Wars, George Lucas forms Industrial Light and Magic.
 July 5 – Arthur Ashe becomes the first black man to win Wimbledon singles tennis title.
 September 5 – Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme attempts to shoot President Gerald Ford, but is stopped.
 September 22 – US President Gerald Ford survives another assassination attempt, this time by Sara Jane Moore.
 October 1 - The Ellice Islands split from the Gilbert Islands (present-day Kiribati) and change their name to Tuvalu.
 October 11 – Saturday Night Live airs for the first time.
 November 10 – The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks.
 November 11 – Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam sacked by Governor-General Sir John Kerr.
 November 20 – Spanish fascist dictator Francisco Franco dies at the age of 82.
 Jaws becomes the first movie to ever gross US$100 million in North America, setting the standard for future blockbusters.
 The Vietnam War ends.

 Births 
 January 8 – Tift Merritt, American singer and songwriter
 January 17 – CoCo Lee, Chinese singer
 February 4 – Natalie Imbruglia, Australian singer and actress
 February 19 – Ion Cordoneanu, Romanian guitarist (Dr. Feelgood Band), teacher  
 February 22 – Drew Barrymore, American actress
 March 9 - Adonal Foyle, Vincentian-American basketball player
 March 15 – Eva Longoria, American actress
 March 27 – Fergie, American singer (Black Eyed Peas)
 April 6 – Zach Braff, American actor, director, and screenwriter
 April 14 – Anderson Silva, Brazilian martial artist
 April 26 – Joey Jordison, American musician (Slipknot)
 May 2 – David Beckham, English football player
 May 2 – Dorothy M. Metcalf-Lindenburger, American astronaut
 May 8 – Enrique Iglesias, Spanish singer
 May 10 – Hélio Castroneves, Brazilian racecar driver
 May 27 – Jamie Oliver, English celebrity chef
 June 4 – Russell Brand, English comedian and actor
 June 4 – Angelina Jolie, American actress
 June 8 – Shilpa Shetty, Indian actress and model
 June 30 – Ralf Schumacher, German racing driver
 June 30 – Rami Shaaban, Swedish footballer
 July 6 – 50 Cent, American rapper
 July 9 – Shelton Benjamin, American wrestler
 July 9 – Jack White, American actor and musician
 July 11 – Lil' Kim, American rapper
 July 17 – Terence Tao, Australian mathematician
 August 3 - Ferrid Kheder, French judoka and mixed martial artist
 August 7 – Charlize Theron, South African actress
 August 22 – Rodrigo Santoro, Brazilian actor
 September 17 – Constantine Maroulis, American singer
 September 20 – Juan Pablo Montoya, Colombian NASCAR driver
 September 22 – Ole Petter Andreassen, Norwegian musician
 September 30 – Wopke Hoekstra, Dutch politician
 October 5 – Kate Winslet, English actress
 October 9 – Sean Lennon, American musician
 October 10 – Rumiko Takahashi, Japanese manga artist
 October 14 – Floyd Landis, American cyclist
 November 22 – Aiko, Japanese singer
 December 5 – Ronnie O'Sullivan, English snooker player
 December 6 – Andrea Agnelli, Italian businessman
 December 6 – Mia Love, American politician (d. 2025)
 December 17 – Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American model and actress
 December 27 – Heather O'Rourke, American actress (d. 1988)
 December 30 – Scott Chipperfield, Australian footballer
 December 30 – Tiger Woods, American golfer

 Deaths 
 January 

 February 

 March 
 March 14 - Susan Hayward, American actress (b. 1917)
 March 14 - Günther Reindorff, Estonian graphic designer (b. 1899)
 March 25 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia (b. 1906)

 April 
 April 5 – Chiang Kai-shek, President of the Republic of China (b. 1887)
 April 12 - Josephine Baker, American dancer, singer and actress (b. 1906)
 April 13 - François Tombalbaye, 1st President of Chad (b. 1918)
 April 17 – Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, 2nd President of India (b. 1888)
 April 21 – Ranieri Mazzilli, President of Brazil (b. 1910)
 April 23 – Peter Ham, Welsh singer and songwriter (b. 1947)
 April 23 – William Hartnell, English actor (b. 1908)

 May 
 May 28 – Ezzard Charles, American boxer (b. 1921)
 May 28 – Lung Chien, Chinese movie srceenwriter and director (b. 1916)

 June 
 June 3 - Eisaku Satō, 39th Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1901)
 June 3 – Ozzie Nelson, American band leader, producer, director, and actor (b. 1906)

 July 

 August 
 August 9 – Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian composer (b. 1906)
 August 15 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, President of Bangladesh (b. 1920) 
 August 27 – Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia (b. 1892)
 August 29 – Éamon de Valera, President of Ireland (b. 1882)

 September 
 September 25 – Heinz Müller, German bicycle racer (b. 1924)

 October 

 November 
 November 3 - Tajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (b. 1925)
 November 3 - Syed Nazrul Islam, acting President of Bangladesh (b. 1925)
 November 3 - Muhammad Mansur Ali, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (b. 1919)
 November 20 – Francisco Franco, Spanish dictator (b. 1892)
 November 21 – Gunnar Gunnarsson, Icelandic writer (b. 1889)

 December 
 December 24 – Bernard Herrmann, American composer and conductor (b. 1911)