What Happened in December 1975

Historical Events

Dec 1 "The Robert MacNeil Report", later "The MacNeil-Lehrer Report", currently known as "PBS NewsHour" program premieres nationally in US on PBS
Dec 1 Kuwait and Gulf and BP agree on terms of nationalization

President Ford Visits China

Dec 1 US President Gerald Ford visits People's Republic of China

Dec 2 7 South Moluccans hijack train at Wijster, Drente (NL), 3 killed

Greg Chappell

Dec 2 Greg Chappell in his debut as Australian cricket captain completes a fine double in 8 wicket win in 1st Test v West Indies in Brisbane; scores 109no in 2nd innings to follow his 1st innings 123

Dec 2 Laos king Sisavang Vatthana resigns, Lao People's Democratic Republic founded (National Day)
Dec 3 Laos falls to communist forces; Lao People's Democratic Rep proclaimed
Dec 4 6 South Molukkans occupy Indonesian consulate in The Hague, 1 dead
Dec 5 "Me & Bessie" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 453 performances
Dec 5 NASA launches space vehicle S-196, it failed
Dec 6 41st Heisman Trophy Award: Archie Griffin, Ohio State (RB)
Dec 6 Balcombe Street Siege: for 6 days, four Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers hold two hostages at an apartment in London, England
Dec 7 10th Islander shut-out opponent-Glenn Resch 3-0 vs Sabres
Dec 7 Archbishop Makarios returns to Cyprus
Dec 7 Indonesian army occupies East Timor

Năstase's 4th ATP

Dec 7 Romanian tennis star Ilie Năstase wins his 4th season-ending ATP Masters Grand Prix title with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 rout of Björn Borg of Sweden in Stockholm

Dec 8 "Raisin" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 847 performances
Dec 8 Radio station 4ZZZ begins transmitting in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia at 105.7 FM; frequency changes to 102.1 FM in 1978
Dec 9 Iraq completes nationalization by taking over the BP, CFP, and Shell shares of the Basrah Petroleum Company
Dec 9 US President Gerald Ford signs $2.3 New York City Seasonal Financing Act amid fiscal crisis in the city

Nobel to Soviet Dissident

Dec 10 Andrei Sakharov's wife Yelena Bonner accepts the Soviet dissident's Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo - Sakharov not allowed to leave the country

Dissident and Wife of Andre Sakharov Yelena Bonner

Nuclear Physicist and Soviet Dissident Andrei Sakharov

Funk vs. Brisco

Dec 10 Terry Funk beats Jack Brisco in Miami Beach, Florida to become NWA wrestling champ

Yankees' Great Trade

Dec 11 MLB New York Yankees make great trade getting Willie Randolph, Dock Ellis & Ken Brett from Pittsburgh Pirates for George "Doc" Medich

MLB Second Baseman and Manager Willie Randolph

Dec 11 US 1st class postage rises from 10 cents to 13 cents
Dec 12 Gas stove explodes & starts fire killing 138 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Dec 12 Sara Jane Moore pleads guilty to trying to kill US President Gerald Ford (serves 32 years)

Saturday Night Live Time Delay

Dec 13 1st time "Saturday Night Live" uses a time delay, Richard Pryor hosts

Fraser Coalition Win

Dec 13 Australian Federal Election - Liberals with coalition under Malcolm Fraser win largest ever parliamentary majority

Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Fraser

Dec 13 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
Dec 13 West Indian cricket opener Roy Fredericks smashes 169 in 2nd Test win v Australia in Perth; hundred in 71 balls
Dec 14 6 So Moluccan terrorists surrender, holding 23 hostages for 12 days

Treemonisha

Dec 14 Scott Joplin's opera "Treemonisha" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 64 performances

Dec 14 WCPR (Brooklyn New York pirate radio station) begins broadcasting on 1620 AM
Dec 16 1st broadcast of "One Day at a Time" on CBS TV

Veeck Buys White Sox

Dec 16 Bill Veeck buys 80% of MLB Chicago White Sox from John Allyn

Dec 17 John Paul Stevens appointed to the US Supreme Court
Dec 17 Lynette Fromme sentenced to life for attempt on US President Ford's life
Dec 17 NHL NY Islanders shut-out NY Rangers, for 1st time in 3-0 win with Billy Smith in goal

Wood Joins Rolling Stones

Dec 19 British guitarist Ron Wood joins the Rolling Stones

Dec 19 The Red Hand Commandos, a very secretive Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland, explode a no-warning car bomb in Dundalk, killing 2 civilians and wounding 20
Dec 20 Joe Walsh recruited to join Eagles

Willebrands Named Archbishop

Dec 20 Pope Paul VI names Johannes Willebrands Archbishop of Utrecht

Dec 21 "Very Good Eddie" opens at Booth Theater NYC for 307 performances
Dec 21 1st NY Jet to gain 1,000 yards rushing (John Riggins)
Dec 21 Buffalo Sabres set NHL record of 40 points beating Caps 14-2 scoring 5 goals vs Washington Caps in 4:57

Borg Gives Sweden Win

Dec 21 Davis Cup Men's Tennis, Stockholm, Sweden: Home town hero Björn Borg beats Czech Jan Kodeš 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to give Sweden unassailable 3-1 lead; ends 3-2

Dec 21 Louis LaRusso II's stage drama "Lampost Reunion", starring Danny Aiello, closes at the Little Theatre, NYC, after 77 performances
Dec 21 Madagascar adopts constitution
Dec 21 Revival of Jerry Herman's musical "Hello, Dolly", starring Pearl Bailey closes at Minskoff Theater, NYC, after 51 performances
Dec 22 US President Gerald Ford signs the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) - establishes National Petroleum Reserve
Dec 23 Chairman of MLB arbitration panel Peter Seitz rules pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally to be free agents
Dec 23 US President Gerald Ford signs Metric Conversion Act in to law
Dec 26 1st supersonic transport service (USSR-Tupolev-144)
Dec 26 5th Fiesta Bowl: #7 Arizona State beats #6 Nebraska, 17-14
Dec 26 Crowd of 85,661 attend the 1st day of the Australia vs West Indies MCG cricket test

George Harrison Teases Hit

Dec 26 George Harrison teases his hit "My Sweet Lord" before breaking into "The Pirate Song" on Eric Idle's Rutland Weekend Television Christmas Special (UK)

Dec 27 Explosion at Chasnala Colliery collapses drowning 350 in Dhanbad, India
Dec 28 "The Hail Mary", with 32 seconds left in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach throws a legendary 50-yard winning touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to defeat the Minnesota Vikings, and the "Hail Mary" play gains national recognition
Dec 28 1st broadcast of Dutch public radio service Hilversum IV; programming chiefly classical music
Dec 28 Earthquake in Pakistan, 4,000 die
Dec 28 Gary Cosier scores 109 v West Indies at MCG on Test Cricket debut
Dec 28 In the aftermath of the Cold War, the New York Rangers become first team in NHL history to face a touring Soviet hockey squad; Soviet Army beats the Rangers, 7-3 at Madison Square Garden
Dec 29 11 killed, 75 hurt by terrorist bomb at LaGuardia Airport in NYC
Dec 30 "Boccaccio" closes at Edison Theater NYC after 7 performances

Oleg Blokhin Award

Dec 30 Ballon d'Or: FC Dynamo Kyiv forward Oleg Blokhin claims award for best European football player ahead of former winners, Bayern Munich defender Franz Beckenbauer and Ajax forward Johan Cruyff

Dec 30 Constitution of Democratic Republic of Madagascar comes into force
Dec 31 42nd Sugar Bowl: #3 Alabama beats #7 Penn State, 13-6

Events in 1975

Famous Birthdays

Dec 2 Mark Kotsay, American baseball outfielder and coach (1,914 MLB games; Florida Marlins, Oakland A's), born in Whittier, California
Dec 3 Csaba Czébely, Hungarian drummer (Pokolgép), born in Beregszász, Transcarpathia
Dec 3 Lauren E Roman, actress (Laura Kirk-All My Children), born in Wilmington, North Carolina
Dec 3 Malinda Williams, American actress
Dec 3 Mickey Avalon [Yeshe Perl], American rapper, born in Hollywood, California
Dec 4 Marci Jobson (Miller), American soccer midfielder (17 caps; Turbine Potsdam FC, Atlanta Beat) and coach (Baylor University 2008-14), born in St. Charles, Illinois
Dec 5 Paula Patton, American actress (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), born in Los Angeles, California

Ronnie O'Sullivan (48 years old)

Dec 5 British snooker player (7 x world champion; 7 x Masters champion; 7 x UK champion), born in Wordsley, England

Dec 6 Natalie Titcume, Australian softball catcher (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Sydney, Australia
Dec 6 Noel Clarke, English actor and writer, born in London
Dec 7 Jamie Clapham, English footballer (Ipswich Town), born in Lincoln, England
Dec 7 Nikola Wapzarow, Bulgarian poet and writer, born in Bansko, Bulgaria
Dec 8 Kevin Harvick, American auto racer (NASCAR Cup Series Champion 2014), born in Bakersfield, California
Dec 9 Joshua Rudoy, American actor (Harry & Hendersons), born in Los Angeles, California
Dec 10 Josip Skoko, Australian footballer
Dec 11 Frank Rubio, American pilot and NASA astronaut (US record longest spaceflight), born in Los Angeles, California
Dec 11 Gerben de Knegt, Dutch cyclist, born in Tilburg, Netherlands
Dec 11 Tomoka Kurotani, Japanese actress, born in Kita-ku, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Dec 12 Craig Moore, Australian soccer defender and broadcaster (52 caps; Glasgow Rangers 175 games), born in Sydney, New South Wales
Dec 12 Mayim Bialik, American actress (The Big Bang Theory), born in San Diego, California
Dec 13 Matt LeCroy, American baseball catcher (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Belton, South Carolina
Dec 13 Tom DeLonge, American rock guitarist (blink-182, Angels & Airwaves), born in Poway, California
Dec 14 James Cotton, American NBA guard (Seattle Supersonics), born in Los Angeles, California
Dec 14 Justin Furstenfeld, American rock singer, lyricist, and guitar player (Blue October; Harvard of the South), born in Houston, Texas
Dec 14 KaDee Strickland, American actress (Private Practice, The Grudge), born in Patterson, Georgia
Dec 14 Tamecka Dixon, American WNBA guard (LA Sparks), born in Linden, New Jersey
Dec 16 Benjamin Kowalewicz, Canadian rock singer and songwriter (Billy Talent), born in Pierrefonds, Quebec
Dec 16 Jacob "Jake" Cinninger, American rock guitarist, and songwriter (Umphrey's McGee), born in Niles, Michigan
Dec 16 Jonathan Scarfe, Canadian actor
Dec 16 Nawo Kawakita, Japanese heavy metal drummer (Maximum the Hormone), born in Tokyo, Japan
Dec 16 Valentin Bădoi, Romanian footballer

Milla Jovovich (48 years old)

Dec 17 Ukrainian-American actress (The Fifth Element; Resident Evil), born in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

Dec 17 Napiera Danielle Groves, American actress and Miss USA-Washington, D.C. (1997, Miss Congeniality), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
Dec 17 Nick Dinsmore (Eugene), American professional wrestler
Dec 17 Tim Clark, South African golfer (US Masters 2006 runner-up; Players C'ship 2010), born in Durban, RSA
Dec 18 Masaki Sumitani, Japanese comedian
Dec 18 Sia [Furler], Australian singer-songwriter and producer (Titanium), born in Adalaide, Australia
Dec 18 Trish Stratus, Canadian professional wrestler
Dec 19 Casual [Jon Owens], American rapper (Smash Rockwell), born in Oakland, California
Dec 19 Jon Smith, British writer
Dec 19 Olivier Tébily, Ivorian soccer defender (18 caps; Chamois Niortais FC, Celtic, Birmingham City), born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Dec 20 Bartosz Bosacki, Polish footballer, born in Poznań, Poland
Dec 20 Jaydy Michel, Mexican model, born in Guadalajara, Mexico
Dec 21 Paloma Herrera, Argentine ballet dancer, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dec 22 Chris Adler, American writer, born in Cheverly, Maryland
Dec 22 Dmitri Khokhlov, Russian footballer, born in Krasnodar, Russia
Dec 22 Sergei Aschwanden, Swiss judoka, born in Bern, Switzerland
Dec 22 Stanislav Neckar, NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators, Olympic gold 1998), born in České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Dec 23 Vadim Sharifijanov, Russian ice hockey player, born in Ufa, Russia
Dec 23 Yasmin Levy, Israeli Ladino singer, born in Baka, Jerusalem, Israel
Dec 24 Natalie Ward, Australian softball shortstop/2nd baseman (Olympic bronze 1996)
Dec 24 Young Zee, American hip hop artist, born in Newark, New Jersey
Dec 25 Hideki Okajima, Japanese baseball pitcher (3 × NPB All-Star; MLB All Star 2007; first Japanese-born pitcher to play in World Series, Game 2 2007 Boston Red Sox; Yomiuri Giants), born in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Dec 25 Marcus Trescothick, English cricket batsman (76 Tests, 14 x 100s, HS 219; 123 ODIs; Somerset CCC), born in Keynsham, England
Dec 25 Pardis Sabeti, Iranian-American biologist and geneticist, born in Tehran, Iran
Dec 25 Rob Mariano, American reality show contestant, born in Boston, Massachusetts
Dec 26 Marcelo Rios, Chilean tennis star (1995 Amsterdam), born in Santiago, Chile
Dec 27 Heather O'Rourke, American actress (Happy Days, Poltergeist), born in San Diego, California (d. 1988)
Dec 28 Tannis Vallely, American actress (Janice Lazorotto-Head of the Class), born in New York City
Dec 29 Jaret Wright, American baseball player, born in Anaheim, California

Tiger Woods (48 years old)

Dec 30 American golfer (15 major titles; 81 PGA Tour titles; 41 European Tour titles), born in Cypress, California

Dec 31 Toni Kuivasto, Finnish soccer defender (75 caps; Djurgårdens IF 165 games), born in Tampere, Finland

Born in 1975

Famous Deaths

Dec 1 Anna E. Roosevelt, American radio personality (b. 1906)
Dec 1 Ernesto Maserati, Italian auto racer and engineer (director, chief engineer Maserati of Modena), dies at 77
Dec 1 Nellie Fox, American Baseball Hall of Fame infielder (15 x MLB All Star; AL MVP 1959; Chicago White Sox), dies from lymphatic cancer at 47
Dec 1 Nick Kenny, American columnist and songwriter (Nick Kenny Show), dies at 80
Dec 1 Ranganandhan Francis, Indian field hockey goalkeeper (Olympic gold 1948, 52, 56), dies at 55
Dec 3 Jacob Kruijt, Dutch sociologist, dies at 76

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975)

Dec 4 German-American political theorist and historian (Origins of Totalitarianism), dies of a heart attack at 69

Dec 5 Jimmy Nervo, actor (Frozen Limits), dies
Dec 7 Beatrix Loughran, American figure skater (Olympic gold 1924, 1928, 1932), dies at 75
Dec 7 Hardie Albright, actress (Silver Streak, Scarlet Letter), dies at 71

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975)

Dec 7 American playwright and writer (Bridge of San Luis Rey), dies at 78

Dec 8 Gary Thain, New Zealand bassist (Uriah Heep, 1972-75), dies of respiratory failure due to a heroin overdose, at 27
Dec 9 Esdras Minville, Quebec writer, economist and sociologist, dies at 79
Dec 9 Frank Signorelli, American swing jazz pianist (Original Dixieland Jazz Band; Joe Venuti's Blue Four), and songwriter (Stairway to the Stars), dies at 74
Dec 9 Jeff Heath, Canadian baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1941, 43, 45; Cleveland Indians), dies from a heart attack at 60
Dec 9 William A. Wellman, American director (Ox Bow Incident), dies at 79
Dec 11 Lee Wiley, American jazz singer (Night in Manhattan), dies at 67
Dec 13 Cyril Delevanti, British actor (Soylent Green, The Night of the Iguana), dies at 88
Dec 13 Hendrik Johan Kruls, Dutch general and chief military authority (1944-46), dies at 73
Dec 14 Arthur Treacher, British character actor (The Little Princess; Thank You, Jeeves), TV announcer/sidekick (The Merv Griffin Show, 1965-70), and fish and chips restaurant namesake, dies of cardiovascular disease at 81
Dec 15 Mukhtar Ashrafi, Soviet-Uzbek composer, dies at 63
Dec 17 Frank Sully, American actor (Along Came Jones; Phantom Thief; Inside the Law), dies at 67
Dec 17 Hound Dog Taylor [Theodore Roosevelt], American Chicago blues guitarist and singer, dies of lung cancer at 60
Dec 17 Noble Sissle, American jazz composer, singer, lyricist and playwright (Shuffle Along; "I'm Just Wild About Harry"), dies at 86
Dec 18 Theodosius Dobzhansky, Russian-American genetist, evolutionary biologist and author (Mankind Evolving), dies at 75
Dec 20 William Lundigan, American actor (Climax, Pinky, They Asked for It), dies of lung and heart congestion at 61
Dec 23 Richard S Welch, American CIA station chief in Athens, Greece, assassinated by revolutionaries at 46
Dec 24 Bernard Herrmann [Maximillian Herman], American radio and Academy Award-winning film score composer (Mercury Theatre on the Air; Citizen Kane; Vertigo; Psycho; Taxi Driver), and conductor, bdies of a heart attack at 64
Dec 24 Tilly Losch, Austrian dancer and actress (Duel in the Sun; Garden of Allah), dies at about 71 (birth date disputed)
Dec 25 Gaston Gallimard, French publisher (Librairie Gallimard), dies at 94
Dec 29 Euell Gibbons, American outdoorsman and proponent of natural diets (b. 1911).
Dec 31 Donal Michalsky, American composer, dies in a fire at 47

On This Day