1973 San Diego Toreros football team
When Coach Vinci came to San Diego in December 1971, he inherited a club program that had won only five games in the previous two seasons, operated on a $10,000 budget, and played on a field that was described as "little more than a dirt bowl filled with gopher holes and a rut down the middle, no lights, insufficient parking and poor facilities for coaches and players." Vinci raised funds with a combination of loans and donations and rebuilt the program's facilities. Vinci said, "I even learned how to run a bulldozer."


1973 San Diego Toreros football team
During the 1973 season, four San Diego players broke school records on offense: 1) Rich Paulson set school records with 16 rushing touchdowns, 96 points scored, and an average of 6.3 yards per carry; 2) quarterback Bob Dulich led all players in Division III with an average of 231.2 yards of total offense per game, and broke the schools' single-season records with 2,538 passing yards, 2,773 yards of total offense, and 21 touchdown passes and the single-game record with 389 yards against USIU; 3) Ernie Yarbrough broke single-season receiving records with 1,102 receiving yards and 67 receptions; and 4) Doug Rothrock broke a single-season record with 49 successful extra point kicks and eight successful extra point kicks in one game.


1973 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1973 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League and their 28th overall. They began the season hoping to improve on their previous years' output of 8–5–1, and looking to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. However, the team finished 5–9  and failed to qualify for the playoffs. After the season, quarterback John Brodie retired after 16 years with the 49ers.


1973 San Francisco Giants season
The 1973 San Francisco Giants season was the franchise's 91st season, 16th season in San Francisco and 14th in Candlestick Park. The team finished third in the National League West with a record of 88–74, 11 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.


1973 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1973 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1973 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1973 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1973 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1973 San Francisco State Gators football team
The 1973 San Francisco State Gators football team represented San Francisco State University during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season.


1973 San Francisco State Gators football team
San Francisco State competed in the Far Western Conference (FWC). The Gators were led by head coach Vic Rowen in his 13th year at the helm. They played home games at Cox Stadium in San Francisco, California. The team finished the regular season with a record of seven wins, two losses and one tie (7–2–1, 3–2 FWC). For the season the team outscored its opponents 263–188.


1973 San Francisco State Gators football team, Team players in the NFL
No San Francisco State players were selected in the 1974 NFL Draft.


1973 San Jose State Spartans football team
The 1973 San Jose State Spartans football team represented California State University, San Jose during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. The team was led by first year head coach Darryl Rogers. They played home games at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California. The Spartans finished the season with a record of five wins, four losses and two ties (5–4–2, 2–0–2 PCAA).


1973 Sandown 250
The 1973 Sandown 250 was an endurance race for Group C Touring Cars. It was staged at Sandown in Victoria, Australia on 9 September 1973 over 130 laps of the 3.1 km circuit, a total distance of 403 km (250 mi). The race was Round 2 of the 1973 Australian Manufacturers' Championship and was the eighth in a sequence of annual endurance races now known as the Sandown 500.


1973 Sandown 250
The race was won by Peter Brock driving a Holden Torana GTR XU-1.


1973 Sandown Park Cup
The 1973 Sandown Park Cup was the seventh round of the 1973 Tasman Series. It was a Formula 5000 race held at Sandown International Raceway. It was held on 18 February on the same circuit that would in November be used for the 1973 Australian Grand Prix. New Zealander Graham McRae won the race and went on to win the Grand Prix as well.


1973 Sandown Park Cup
The race was promoted by the Light Car Club of Australia as the Chesterfield 100.


1973 Scheldeprijs
The 1973 Scheldeprijs was the 60th edition of the Scheldeprijs cycle race and was held on 31 July 1973. The race was won by Freddy Maertens.


1973 Scottish League Cup Final
The 1973 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 15 December 1973 and was the final of the 28th Scottish League Cup competition. It was contested by Dundee and Celtic. Dundee won the match 1–0, with Gordon Wallace scoring the winning goal.


1973 Scottish League Cup Final, Media Coverage
In Scotland highlights of the Scottish League Cup Final was shown on BBC One Scotland on their Sportsreel programme in the evening and also on STV and Grampian Television on the former's Scotsport programme the following day.


1973 Scottish local elections
Local elections were held in Scotland in May 1973, as part of that year's wider British local elections. The elections were the last to the local authorities created under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929, and were replaced in 1975 by a uniform system of regions and districts.


1973 Scottish local elections
Elections to the 4 city corporations, 21 town councils of large burghs and 176 town councils of small burghs took place on 1 May 1973; elections to the 33 county councils took place a week later on 8 May 1973.


1973 Segunda División de Chile
The 1973 Segunda División de Chile was the 22nd season of the Segunda División de Chile.


1973 Semaphore state by-election
The Semaphore state by-election, 1973 was a by-election held on 2 June 1973 for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Semaphore. This was triggered by the death of state Labor MHA Reg Hurst. The seat had been retained by Labor since it was created and first contested at the 1970 state election.


1973 Semaphore state by-election, Results
The Socialist Party, who contested the previous election on 3.7 percent of the vote, did not contest the by-election. Labor easily retained the seat.


1973 Senegalese general election
General elections were held in Senegal on 28 January 1973 to elect a President and National Assembly. At the time the country was a one-party state, with the Senegalese Progressive Union (UPS) as the sole legal party, As a result, its leader, Léopold Sédar Senghor, was the only candidate in the presidential election and was re-elected unopposed. In the National Assembly election, voters were presented with a list of 100 UPS candidates (for the 100 seats) to vote for. Voter turnout was 93.0% in the parliamentary elections and 97% in the presidential election.


1973 Senior League World Series
The 1973 Senior League World Series is a baseball competition that took place from August 11–18 in Gary, Indiana, United States. Taipei, Taiwan defeated Oxon Hill, Maryland in the championship game. It was Taiwan's second straight championship.


1973 Sheffield City Council election
Elections to Sheffield Council were held on 10 May 1973.


1973 Sheffield City Council election
The first elections to the newly created metropolitan borough council were held on 10 May 1973, with the entirety of the 90 seat council - three seats for each of the thirty wards - up for vote. The Local Government Act 1972 stipulated that the elected members were to shadow and eventually take over from the predecessor corporation on 1 April 1974. The order in which the councillors were elected dictated their term serving, with third-place candidates serving two years and up for re-election in 1975, second-placed three years expiring in 1976 and 1st-placed five years until 1978.


1973 Sheffield City Council election, Election result
This result has the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:


1973 Sierra Leonean general election
General elections were held in Sierra Leone on 15 May 1973. The result was a victory for the All People's Congress, which won 84 of the 85 elected seats. However, the main opposition, the Sierra Leone People's Party boycotted the election due to violence and alleged irregularities, and most APC candidates were elected unopposed.


1973 Sikkimese general election
General elections were held in Sikkim in January 1973. The Sikkim National Party emerged as the largest party, winning nine of the 18 elected seats.


1973 Sikkimese general election, Electoral system
The State Council was established in 1953 by the Chogyal. It originally had 18 members, of which 12 were elected and six (including the President) appointed by the Chogyal. Of the 12 elected members, six were for the Nepali community and six for the Lepcha and the Bhutia communities. For the 1958 elections the number of seats was increased to 20 by adding one seat for the Sangha and an additional appointed member. In 1966 a further four seats had been added; one each for the Nepali and Lepcha/Bhutia communities, together with one for the Tsong and a scheduled caste seat.


1973 Sikkimese general election, Electoral system
Candidates for election to the Council had to be at least 30 years old, whilst the voting age was set at 21.


1973 Sikkimese general election, Campaign
Prior to the elections the Sikkim State Congress and the Sikkim Janata Party merged to form the Sikkim Janata Congress.


1973 Sikkimese general election, Results, Appointed members
In addition to the elected members, six members were appointed to the Sikkim State Council by the Chogyal on 5 March; Traten Sherba Gyaltsen, Madan Mohan Rasaily, Chhoutuk Tsering Pazo, Dhan Bahadur Chettri, Kali Prasad Rai and Atang Lepcha.


1973 Sikkimese general election, Aftermath
Following the election, the Sikkim National Congress and Sikkim Janata Congress claimed that vote rigging took place in the South Sikkim constituency. They demanded that officials involved were arrested, but these demands were not met, leading to protests. The unrest led to the signing of a tripartite agreement on 8 May between the Choygal, Sikkimese political parties and the government of India. The agreement provided for the establishment of a responsible government under the supervision of a Chief Executive nominated by the Indian government.


1973 Singapore Grand Prix
The 1973 Singapore Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Thomson Road Grand Prix circuit on 22 April 1973. It was the final Singapore Grand Prix before the cancellation of the event, which resumed in 2008 as a round of the Formula One World Championship. The race was contested over 50 laps and was won by Vern Schuppan driving a March. The race was run to Australian Formula Two rules.


1973 Singapore Grand Prix, Report, Background
John MacDonald had a brand new Brabham BT40 delivered to him for the race. However, his team ran into difficulty due to fuel pick-up problems with the new car.


1973 Singapore Grand Prix, Report, Background
In the 1972 event, the 28-year-old Singaporean driver Lionel Chan was involved in an accident which saw his car roll into a ditch on the fourth lap after losing a wheel and hitting an official car. He was taken to hospital but fell into a coma and later died. The circuit was considered dangerous and the Singaporean Minister of Social Affairs, Encik Othman Wok, stated, "I'll be the happiest man when we get a permanent circuit."


1973 Singapore Grand Prix, Report, Race
Schuppan was leading Malcolm Ramsay's Birrana when Schuppan's March kicked up some stones, puncturing Ramsay's fuel tank and covering him in petrol.


1973 Singapore Grand Prix, Report, Race
Malcolm soldiered on until the pain of the petrol burning his balls forced him to retire.


1973 Singapore Grand Prix, Report, Aftermath
During a support race for touring cars, Swiss driver Joe Huber went off the track into a lamp post. He died six days later as a result of his injuries. The difficulty of implementing adequate safety measures, along with concerns that the Grand Prix was promoting reckless driving, led to motor racing being banned in Singapore after the 1973 Grand Prix. Other contributory factors have been suggested, including an increase in traffic, the inconvenience of having to close roads for the event and also a surge of oil prices stemming from the Suez Crisis. On average the Grand Prix saw one fatality per year, partly due to the nature of the circuit which featured monsoon drains and bus stops. Graeme Lawrence, a three-time winner of the Singapore Grand Prix, believed that the Thomson Road circuit was one of the most dangerous in the world.


1973 Singapore Grand Prix, Report, Aftermath
A permanent track incorporating a sports complex was proposed as a replacement for the Thomson Road circuit, but this did not come to fruition.


1973 Skate Canada International
The 1973 Skate Canada International was held in Calgary, Alberta on October 25–28. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, and ice dancing.


1973 Sligo Senior Football Championship
This is a round-up of the 1973 Sligo Senior Football Championship. St. Patrick's regained the Owen B. Hunt Cup in this year after defeating Craobh Rua in the final. A new name appeared in the Championship entrants this year - Eastern Harps, an amalgamation of Keash, 1964 finalists and intermittent competitors at Senior level, and Gurteen.


1973 Sligo Senior Football Championship, Sligo Senior Football Championship Final
Team:T. CumminsE. RusheA. BolandJ. CuffeS. ClarkeP.J. KilcullenL. BolandM. Kearins (0-7)J. Kilgallon (0-2)P. McMunnR. BolandP. KearinsM. JamesT. TempanyJ. Kearins (1-1)


1973 Sligo Senior Football Championship, Sligo Senior Football Championship Final
Team:J. DevittJ. McGuiganJ. FitzgeraldM. KearinsB. MurphyP. JoyceP. FitzpatrickG. SodenM. LaffeyK. DelaneyS. ConnellyM. Gorman (0-6)D. Kerins (0- 1)F. BrettP. McDermott


1973 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election
The first elections to the newly created Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council were held on Thursday, 10 May 1973, with the entirety of the 51 seat council - three seats for each of the 17 wards - up for vote. The Local Government Act 1972 stipulated that the elected members were to shadow and eventually take over from the predecessor corporation on 1 April 1974. The order in which the councillors were elected dictated their term serving, with third-place candidates serving two years and up for re-election in 1975, second-placed three years expiring in 1976 and 1st-placed five years until 1978.


1973 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election
The election resulted in the Conservatives gaining control of the council.


1973 Solomon Islands general election
General elections were held in the Solomon Islands between 22 May and 12 June 1973. The following year, Solomon Mamaloni of the People's Progressive Party became the first Chief Minister.


1973 Solomon Islands general election, Electoral system
The Governing Council was enlarged from 26 to 33 seats prior to the election. Of the 33 members, 24 were elected in single-member constituencies (increased from seventeen) and nine were appointed, including three ex officio members. The member representing Eastern Outer Island was elected directly for the first time, having previously been elected by an electoral college, although suffrage on the islands was limited to men by local chiefs.


1973 Solomon Islands general election, Campaign
A total of 118 candidates contested the 24 elected seats. Campaigning in Honiara was reported to be unusually bitter, with posters being torn down and several complaints made to the police. Only one political party, the Solomons United National Party of David Kausimae, contested the elections.


1973 Solomon Islands general election, Results
Only six of the MPs elected in 1970 were re-elected, and only one member of the Solomons United National Party. Voter turnout ranged from 42% in Honiara to 82%.


1973 Solomon Islands general election, Aftermath
Following the elections, a new political party – the United Solomon Islands Party (USIP) – was formed by fourteen of the winning candidates. Benedit Kinika was elected chair of the new party, with Gideon Zoloveke as his deputy. The Solomons United National Party became defunct. In January 1974 another new party, the People's Progressive Party (PPP) was formed. Having become defunct late in 1973, USIP was also revived.


1973 Solomon Islands general election, Aftermath
Later in the 1974 constitutional amendments converted the Governing Council into a Legislative Assembly and introduced the position of Chief Minister, elected by the Assembly. Both USIP and the PPP attempted to win the support of the Independent Group led by Willie Betu before the vote on 27 August. Six rounds were required before a winner emerged. Solodia Funifaka dropped out after the fourth round, with the fifth round resulting in a tie between Kinika and Solomon Mamaloni. In the sixth round, Mamaloni won by 14 votes to 10 for Kinika. A government was subsequently formed by the PPP independent MPs.


1973 Solomon Islands general election, Aftermath
Mamaloni appointed five ministers to his cabinet, keeping the Home Affairs portfolio for himself. David Kausimae became Minister of Agriculture and the Rural Economy, Willie Betu was Minister for Education and Cultural Affairs, Stephen Cheka was Minister of Health and Welfare, Peter Kerr Thompson was Minister of Trade, Industry and Labour and Gideon Zoloveke was Minister of Works and Public Utilities. Zoloveke was moved to the Ministry of Home Affairs in late 1974 and replaced as Minister of Works and Public Utilities by Solodia Funifaka. A cabinet reshuffle took place in 1975, with Peter Kerr Thompson sacked from the cabinet. Willie Betu took over as Minister of Trade, Industry and Labour, with Stephen Cheka taking over from Betu as Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs.


1973 Solomon Islands general election, Aftermath
Mamaloni resigned as Chief Minister on 18 November 1975 over deal with an American firm to mint coins celebrating self-government. However, on 1 December he was re-elected as Chief Minister by the Legislative Assembly, defeating Allan Taki by 18 votes to 4.


1973 Solomon Islands general election, Aftermath
He appointed a new cabinet with Jeriel Ausuta as Minister of Agriculture and Lands, Benedict Kinika as Minister of Education, Willie Betu as Minister of Finance, Pulepada Ghemu as Minister of Foreign Trade, Industry and Labour, Francis Kikolo as Minister of Health and Welfare, Jonathan Fiifii'i as Minister of Home Affairs, David Thuguvoda as Minister of Natural Resources and Ashley Wickham as Minister of Works and Public Utilities. Five of the nine ministers were members of USIP, two were from the PPP and one was an independent.


1973 South African Grand Prix
The 1973 South African Grand Prix, formally titled the Seventh AA Grand Prix of South Africa, was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 3 March 1973. It was race 3 of 15 in both the 1973 World Championship of Drivers and the 1973 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was won by Jackie Stewart driving a Tyrrell. Denny Hulme's pole position was the only one of his Formula One World Championship career.


1973 South African Grand Prix
This race marked Scuderia Ferrari's 200th start in a World Championship event as a team.


1973 South African Grand Prix, Accident
Mike Hailwood was recognised for bravery when he went to pull Clay Regazzoni from his burning car after the two collided on the second lap of the race. Hailwood's driving suit caught fire, but after being extinguished by a fire marshal he returned to help rescue Regazzoni, an act for which he was awarded the George Medal.


1973 South African Open (tennis)
The 1973 South African Open was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts in Johannesburg, South Africa that was part of the 1973 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix. It was the 70th edition of the tournament and was held from 14 November through 27 November 1973. Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert won the singles titles.


1973 South African Open (tennis), Finals, Men's doubles
Arthur Ashe /  Tom Okker defeated  Lew Hoad /  Robert Maud 6–2, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4


1973 South African Open (tennis), Finals, Women's doubles
Linky Boshoff /  Ilana Kloss defeated  Chris Evert /  Virginia Wade 7–6, 2–6, 6–1


1973 South American Open (tennis)
The 1973 South American Open, also known as the Argentine Open,  was a men's tennis tournament that was played on outdoor clay courts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The event was part of the 1973 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix circuit, categorized as Group B, and was held from 19 November through 25 November 1973. Guillermo Vilas won the singles title after first-seeded Björn Borg had to retire in the final after injuring his hand when he ran into the umpire's stand. He earned $7,000 first-prize money.


1973 South American Open (tennis), Finals, Singles
Guillermo Vilas defeated  Björn Borg 3–6, 6–7, 6–4, 6–6(5–5) (Borg retired)


1973 South American Open (tennis), Finals, Doubles
Guillermo Vilas /  Ricardo Cano defeated  Patricio Cornejo /  Ivan Molina 7–6, 6–3


1973 South American Open – Singles
Guillermo Vilas defeated Björn Borg 3–6, 6–7, 6–4, 6–6 after Borg retired to win the 1973 ATP Buenos Aires singles competition. Karl Meiler was the champion but did not defend his title.


1973 South American Rugby Championship
The 1973 South American Rugby Championship was the eighth edition of the competition of the leading national Rugby Union teams in South America.


1973 South American Rugby Championship
The tournament was played in San Paolo and won by Argentina.


1973 South American Youth Championships in Athletics
The 1st South American Youth Championships in Athletics were held in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina from November 2–4, 1973.


1973 South American Youth Championships in Athletics, Medal summary
Medal winners are published for boys and girls. Complete results can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History" website.


1973 South American Youth Championships in Athletics, Participation (unofficial)
Detailed result lists can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History" website. An unofficial count yields the number of about 182 athletes from about 7 countries:


1973 South Australian state election
State elections were held in South Australia on 10 March 1973. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan won a second term in government, defeating the Liberal and Country League led by Leader of the Opposition Bruce Eastick.


1973 South Australian state election, Background
Parliamentary elections for both houses of the Parliament of South Australia were held in South Australia in 1973, which saw Don Dunstan and the Australian Labor Party win a second successive term, against the Liberal and Country League (LCL) led by Bruce Eastick.


1973 South Australian state election, Background
It was only the second time that a Labor government in South Australia had been re-elected for a second term, the first being the early Thomas Price Labor government. It would be the first five-year-incumbent Labor government however.


1973 South Australian state election, Background
Moderate Liberal Movement forces within the LCL broke away to form its own party led by Steele Hall after the election in 1973. The LCL became the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia a year after the election.


1973 South Australian state election, Background
The Country Party also won a seat for the first time in Flinders, and finished second after preferences with no Labor candidate in five LCL seats − Rocky River, Mallee, Alexandra, Goyder and Victoria.


1973 South Australian state election, Background
A 1973 Semaphore by-election and a 1974 Goyder by-election were triggered. Labor and the Liberal Movement easily retained their respective seats.


1973 South Australian state election, Results, House of Assembly
South Australian state election, 10 March 1973House of Assembly << 1970–1975 >>


1973 South Australian state election, Results, Legislative Council
South Australian state election, 10 March, 1973Legislative Council << 1968–1975 >>


1973 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 1973 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina as an independent team in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The Gamecocks finished the season 7–4 overall.


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election
The 1973 South Glamorgan County Council election was the first election to South Glamorgan County Council and was held in April 1973. It was followed by the 1977 election.


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election, Candidates
Conservative and Labour candidates contested the vast majority of seats. In contrast there were relatively few Liberal and Plaid Cymru candidates. In Cardiff, many members of the previous County Borough Council sought election to both the new South Glamorgan authority and the new Cardiff City Council (where the elections were held a few weeks later).


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election, Outcome
Glamorgan was the only county to be divided as a result of local government re-organization in England and Wales from 1 April 1974. Previous proposals proposed by the Labour Party had envisaged a division into two new counties, East and West. However, the Conservatives favoured the creation of South Glamorgan given that they entertained hopes of winning control.


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election, Outcome
The first elections were in May 1973 and councillors would act in a shadow capacity for the next 11 months, setting up the various functions, until the new council came into effect. Labour won a small majority (though subsequently allocated themselves 15 of the 20 seats on the steering committee), largely as a result of winning most of the seats in Cardiff and also in the port of Barry.


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election, Summary of results
This section summarises the detailed results which are noted in the following sections. This was the inaugural county election and therefore no comparison can be made with the previous elections.


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election, Summary of results
This table summarises the result of the elections in all wards. 80 councillors were elected.


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election, Ward Results, Barry, Illtyd (one seat)
Councillor Mackillican won by one vote after four recounts. This was the smallest majority in the country at these elections. Mrs Elsworth had won the Illtyd ward for the Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council in 1972 by only four votes.


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election, Ward Results, Whitchurch (three seats)
o indicates sitting councillor on Cardiff City Council prior to 1973 election


1973 South Glamorgan County Council election, Ward Results, Whitchurch (three seats)
A indicates sitting alderman on Cardiff City Council prior to 1973 election


1973 South Korean legislative election
Legislative elections were held in South Korea on 27 February 1973.


1973 South Korean legislative election
The result was a victory for the ruling Democratic Republican Party, which won 73 of the 146 elected seats in the National Assembly. With one-third of seats appointed by President Park Chung-hee, the ruling party had a supermajority. Voter turnout was 72.9%.


1973 South Korean legislative election
The election reconstituted the National Assembly after Park had dissolved it in the October Restoration self-coup four months earlier and pushed through a constitutional referendum which removed presidential term limits and gave him the power to appoint one-third of the National Assembly. The opposition New Democratic Party had also split in 1972 over a leadership dispute between the Yu Chin-san faction and an opposing faction led by Kim Dae-jung and Kim Hong-il. One month before the election, the latter formed the Democratic Unification Party. However, the DUP performed poorly and split the opposition vote, and in the aftermath the members expressed regret for their decision to run.


1973 South Pacific Touring Series
The 1973 South Pacific Touring Car Series was an Australian motor racing competition for Group C Touring Cars. It was contested over four rounds, run in conjunction with the Australian rounds of the 1973 Tasman Series. The series, which was the third South Pacific Touring Series, was won by Peter Brock and his entrant, the Holden Dealer Team.


1973 South Pacific Touring Series, Points system
Points were awarded on a 4-3-2-1 basis to the first four outright placegetters in each round and on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six placegetters in each class in each round.


1973 South Pacific Touring Series, Points system
Points were only awarded conditional on the driver competing in the same make and model of car entered by the same entrant in all four rounds.


1973 South Pacific Touring Series, Series results
Note: The series winner was considered to be the driver and his/her entrant with each receiving equal recognition.


1973 South Pembrokeshire District Council election
The inaugural election to South Pembrokeshire District Council was held in April 1973. Independent candidates won nearly all the seats. It was  followed by the 1976 election. On the same day there were elections to the other local authorities and community councils in Wales.


1973 South Vietnamese Senate election
Senate elections were held in South Vietnam on 26 August 1973. The election was contested by a total of four lists, of which two would be elected and receive 15 seats each. Each voter had two votes. Voter turnout was reported to be 92.7%.


1973 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games
The 1973 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, officially known as the 7th Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, was a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Singapore from 1 to 8 September 1973 with 16 sports featured in the games. This was the first time Singapore hosted the games. Singapore is the fourth nation to host the Southeast Asian Games after Thailand, Burma and Malaysia. The games was opened and closed by Benjamin Sheares, the President of Singapore at the Singapore National Stadium. The final medal tally was led by Thailand, followed by host Singapore and Malaysia.


1973 Southern 500
The 1973 Southern 500, the 24th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event held on September 3, 1973, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.


1973 Southern 500
Bud Moore would compete in his last NASCAR Cup Series as a driver after this event.


1973 Southern 500
Jackie Cooper was named honorary race marshal for the 1973 Southern 500.


1973 Southern 500, Background
Darlington Raceway, nicknamed by many NASCAR fans and drivers as "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame" and advertised as a "NASCAR Tradition", is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.


1973 Southern 500, Background
The track is a four-turn 1.366 miles (2.198 km) oval. The track's first two turns are banked at twenty-five degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at twenty-three degrees. The front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch is banked at six degrees. Darlington Raceway can seat up to 60,000 people.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Before race weekend
Jim Vandiver, who was dealing with a child custody case with his first wife, was to appear in a Greenville, South Carolina court on Friday, August 31 for a hearing. He was assured by his lawyer that appearing would not be necessary because he was expected in Darlington. The judge at the hearing did not consider this grounds for absence, and found Vandiver in contempt of court. An arrest warrant was issued.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Qualifying
Pole position for the Southern 500 was taken by David Pearson, of Wood Brothers Racing.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
Neil Castles, who qualified 38th in a Dodge, withdrew before the race. First alternate Mel Larson took his place, 40th on the grid.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
Two Greenville County sheriff's deputies arrived at Darlington on race day. In Darlington Raceway president Barney Wallace's office, they informed him of their intent to arrest Vandiver on the contempt charge. Wallace convinced them to make their arrest after the race. Neil Castles had been in Wallace's office at the time, overheard this conversation, and informed Vandiver before the race.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
Early in the race, Roy Mayne relieved Jabe Thomas in his car. NASCAR points structure meant that Thomas would receive the points for Mayne's finish. Other drivers took advantage of a relief driver, in part because of the very hot day. Richard Petty was one of these utilizing Lennie Pond to make it through the rest of his race due to his relatively stronger physical endurance and mental endurance.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
40 drivers competed in this race; only one foreigner competed - Canadian-born Vic Parsons. This event took three hours and forty-four minutes to complete 367 laps. Richard Childress was credited as the last-place finisher due to a problem with his engine on lap 19. Frank Warren was the lowest-finishing driver to complete the event while being nearly 100 laps behind the lead lap cars.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
Jim Vandiver, who was already nursing a problematic engine, would deliberately spin his car on lap 223, on Darlington's backstretch. This caused a caution, and in a break in race traffic, Vandiver jumped the back fence and left raceway property. From there, he hitchhiked home to Monroe, North Carolina, and thus avoided arrest on race day.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
Joe Frasson's problematic engine on lap 304 would force him to finish in the middle of the pack.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
Cale Yarborough defeated David Pearson under caution in front 70,000 fans. Pearson would qualify for the pole positionat 150.366 miles per hour (241.991 km/h) during the solo qualifying sessions. Average race speed was 134.033 miles per hour (215.705 km/h) due to the seven yellow flags for 37 laps. Chevrolet and Ford were the dominant manufacturers at this race. Richard D. Brown quit this race on lap 30 for no apparent reason. Cale Yarborough made quite a comeback at the end of the race while Charlie Glotzbach was really strong during the middle of the race; he dropped out with vehicle problems on lap 152.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
Notable crew chiefs in this race were Tim Brewer, Travis Carter, Harry Hyde, Dale Inman, Tom Vandiver, and Jake Elder.


1973 Southern 500, Summary, Race
Race earnings ranged from the winner's portion of $23,140 ($133,272 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's portion of $1,700 ($9,791 when adjusted for inflation) from a total prize of $126,725. ($729,856 when adjusted for inflation).


1973 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1973 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from March 1–3, 1973 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. The Furman Paladins, led by head coach Joe Williams, won their second Southern Conference title and received the automatic berth to the 1973 NCAA Tournament.


1973 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
All of the conference's eight members were eligible for the tournament. Teams were seeded based on conference winning percentage. The tournament used a preset bracket consisting of three rounds.


1973 Southern Cross Rally
The 1973 Southern Cross Rally, officially the Sun-Total Oil Southern Cross International Rally was the eighth running of the Southern Cross Rally. The rally took place between the 3rd and the 7th of October 1973. The event covered 3,245 kilometres from Sydney to Port Macquarie. It was won by Andrew Cowan and John Bryson, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer GSR.


1973 Southern Illinois Salukis football team
The 1973 Southern Illinois Salukis football team was an American football team that represented Southern Illinois University (now known as Southern Illinois University Carbondale) as an independent during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. Under seventh-year head coach Dick Towers, the team compiled a 3–7–1 record. The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.


1973 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team
The 1973 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southern Mississippi as an independent during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. In their fifth year under head coach P. W. Underwood, the team compiled a 6–4–1 record.


1973 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football team
The 1973 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in the Southland Conference during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. In their thirteenth year under head coach Russ Faulkinberry, the team compiled an 0–10 record.


1973 Soviet Cup
The 1973 Soviet Cup was an association football cup competition of the Soviet Union. The winner of the competition, Ararat Yerevan qualified for the continental tournament.


1973 Soviet First League
The 1973 Soviet First League was the third season of the Soviet First League and the 33rd season of the Soviet second tier league competition.


1973 Soviet Second League
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Jolicnikola (talk | contribs) at 13:35, 26 March 2020 (→Group I [Ukraine]). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1973 Soviet Second League
1973 Soviet Second League was a Soviet competition in the Soviet Second League.


1973 Soviet Second League, Qualifying groups, Group I [Ukraine]
The 1973 Football Championship of Ukrainian SSR was the 43rd season of association football competition of the Ukrainian SSR, which was part of the Soviet Second League in Zone 1. The season started on 31 March 1973.


1973 Soviet Second League, Qualifying groups, Group I [Ukraine]
The 1974 Football Championship of Ukrainian SSR was won by SC Tavriya Simferopol.


1973 Soviet Second League, Qualifying groups, Group I [Ukraine]
At the end of the season all six teams from Eastern Ukraine withdrew from competitions.


1973 Soviet Second League, Zone 1
The 1973 Football Championship of Ukrainian SSR was the 43rd season of association football competition of the Ukrainian SSR, which was part of the Soviet Second League in Zone 1. The season started on 31 March 1973.


1973 Soviet Second League, Zone 1
The 1974 Football Championship of Ukrainian SSR was won by SC Tavriya Simferopol.


1973 Soviet Second League, Zone 1
At the end of the season all six teams from Eastern Ukraine withdrew from competitions.


1973 Soviet Top League, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams, and Ararat Yerevan won the championship.


1973 Soviet economic reform
The 1973 Soviet economic reform was an economic reform initiated by Alexei Kosygin, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. During Leonid Brezhnev's rule of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the Soviet economy began to stagnate; this period is referred to by some historians as the Era of Stagnation. After the failed 1965 reform Kosygin initiated another reform in 1973 to enhance the powers and functions of the regional planners by establishing associations. The reform was never fully implemented, and members of the Soviet leadership complained that the reform had not even been fully implemented by the time of the 1979 reform.


1973 Soviet economic reform, Intentions
The reform was ratified in April 1973. Alexei Kosygin's intention with the reform was to indirectly weaken the powers and functions of the central Ministries by establishing associations at the republican and local level of government. The  newly established associations were to increase co-operation between enterprises on such important matters as technology, innovation, and education. Each association was to be specialised. A typical inefficiency with Soviet planning was that each enterprise was burdened by excessive production.


1973 Soviet economic reform, Implementation
Implementation of the reform was slow. New associations were still being established in 1980s, a decade after the reform was initiated. High-standing Soviet officials commented on the problem when the 1979 reform was initiated. Local planners and economists in the 1980s still complained that they had too little power in the daily running of their local economies. Specialised literature proved that the reform's main goal had failed to meet the expected standards.


1973 Soviet economic reform, Implementation
If the reform had been fully implemented it would have given republican and local-level associations considerable more leeway in economic management. The central ministries lost influence via the abolition of the glavki, high-standing departments housing skilled administrators and planners, and the level below the central Ministries would have been strengthened; the merger of enterprises into associations would have given them a common spokesman with economic expertise. The reform would have increased the influence of the political leadership and the State Planning Committee (Gosplan). Historian Jan Åke Dellenbrant notes that an "unofficial reason" for the reform was to intentionally weaken the central Ministries, which had been accused of halting economic progress.


1973 Soviet economic reform, Implementation
The merging of enterprises into associations was accomplished by a highly controversial campaign by Soviet standards. The campaign was carried out in a spirit of derationalisation, which aggravated and even hurt the plan's highly rational goals. The industrial structure of the economy became even more derationalised and therefore more complicated. Central Ministries objected to the loss of enterprises by the setting up of associations, and enterprise managers disliked giving up most of their authority to association chairmen. Local party officials were skeptical of turning plants into local subsidiaries, because the plants' output would not be included in the republics' or regional yearly output statistics. Another problem was that local party cells claimed that they were informed too late about the reform's implementation.


1973 Soviet economic reform, Implementation, Failure
The reform had the side effect of weakening the powers of regional planners over industrial policy even further. By 1981, roughly half of Soviet industry had been merged into associations with an average of four member enterprises in each association. A problem was that an association usually had its members spread over different raions, oblasts, and even republics, which aggravated the State Planning Committee's localisation planning.


1973 Soviet economic reform, Implementation, Failure
The newly established associations made the Soviet economic system even more complex. Many associations increased production amongst member enterprises, such as the Gor'kii automobile plant in Leningrad, which was used as a "model example" by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) to demonstrate a good association and a unified Primary Party Organisation (PPO). The Gor'kii plant did not share the same problems as some other associations, as all its members were located in the same city. The relations between an association and the PPO were much more strained if the association had members over a wide geographic area.


1973 Soviet economic reform, Implementation, Failure
The reform had the effect of disrupting the CPSU's traditional allocation of resources between territorial and industrial agencies. Kommunist, a Soviet newspaper, noted that PPOs that supervised associations with members over a wide geographic area tended to lose touch with the local party and factory organisations, which prevented them from working effectively.


1973 Soviet nuclear tests
The Soviet Union's 1973 nuclear test series was a group of 17 nuclear tests conducted in 1973. These tests  followed the 1972 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1974 Soviet nuclear tests series.


1973 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1973 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Montjuïc circuit on 29 April 1973. It was race 4 of 15 in both the 1973 World Championship of Drivers and the 1973 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 75-lap race was won by Lotus driver Emerson Fittipaldi after he started from seventh position. François Cevert finished second for the Tyrrell team and Shadow driver George Follmer came in third.


1973 Speedway World Pairs Championship
The 1973 Speedway World Pairs Championship was the fourth FIM Speedway World Pairs Championship. The final took place in Borås, Sweden. The championship was won by the host country Sweden (24 points). The silver medal was won by Denmark who beat Poland after a run-off (both 21 points).


1973 Speedway World Pairs Championship, Semifinal 1
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fellns - non-starter • nc - non-classify


1973 Speedway World Pairs Championship, Semifinal 2
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fellns - non-starter • nc - non-classify


1973 Speedway World Pairs Championship, World final
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fellns - non-starter • nc - non-classify


1973 Speedway World Team Cup
The 1973 Speedway World Team Cup was the 14th edition of the FIM Speedway World Team Cup to determine the team world champions.


1973 Speedway World Team Cup
The final took place at Wembley Stadium in London. The title was won by Great Britain for the third consecutive year and fourth time in total. The fourth win drew Britain level with Poland on four titles won but Sweden remained ahead on the number of titles won with six.


1973 Speedway World Team Cup, World final
Peter Collins - 12John Louis - 9Ray Wilson - 8Terry Betts - 8Dave Jessup - dnr


1973 Speedway World Team Cup, World final
Anders Michanek - 11Bernt Persson - 9Bengt Jansson 6Tommy Jansson 5Sören Sjösten dnr


1973 Speedway World Team Cup, World final
Valery Gordeev - 7Vladimir Paznikov - 5Grigory Khlinovsky - 4Aleksandr Pavlov - 2Viktor Trofimov - 2


1973 Speedway World Team Cup, World final
Zenon Plech - 5Edward Jancarz - 2Paweł Waloszek - 1Jerzy Szczakiel - 0Jan Mucha - dnr


1973 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1973 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 54th season the team was in the league. The team matched their previous output of 4–9–1, finishing with that record for the third straight season. They failed to reach the playoffs for the 25th straight season (not counting an appearance in the Playoff Bowl following the 1964 season).


1973 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The game vs. the Oakland Raiders was the first between the teams, and the last until 1983, by which time the Raiders have moved to Los Angeles. It would be the last time the Raiders played at the Cardinals until 1998 in Tempe, Arizona, and the Raiders' last game in St. Louis until 2002 when they played the Rams.


1973 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
Their tied game, their first NFL game against the Denver Broncos, was the nearest they would come to beating that franchise until 2010, and the only time the Broncos would play at Busch Memorial Stadium (they would play at Edward Jones Dome in 2000).


1973 St. Louis Cardinals season
The 1973 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 92nd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 82nd season in the National League. The Cardinals overcame an 8-23 start to finish with an 81–81 record during the season and finished second in the National League East, a-game-and-a-half behind the NL East and eventual NL pennant winners New York Mets. To date, this is the only season the Cardinals have finished at .500 instead of above or below it.


1973 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1973 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1973 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1973 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1973 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1973 St. Louis mayoral election
The 1973 St. Louis mayoral election was held on April 3, 1973 to elect the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri. It saw the election of John Poelker and the defeat of incumbent mayor Alfonso Cervantes in the Democratic primary.


1973 St. Louis mayoral election
The election was preceded by party primaries on March 6.


1973 St. Petersburg Masters Invitation
The 1973 St. Petersburg Masters Invitation was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor green clay courts at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center in St. Petersburg, Florida in the United States. The event was part of the USLTA circuit which in turn was part of the Grand Prix circuit. It was the third edition of the tournament and was held from April 16 through April 22, 1973. First-seeded Chris Evert won the singles title and earned $5,000 first-prize money.


1973 St. Petersburg Masters Invitation, Finals, Doubles
Chris Evert /  Jeanne Evert defeated  Evonne Goolagong /  Janet Young 6–2, 7–6


1973 Stanford Cardinals football team
The 1973 Stanford Cardinals football team represented Stanford University in the Pacific-8 Conference during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. Led by second-year head coach Jack Christiansen, the Cardinals were 7–4 overall (5–2 in Pac-8, third) and played home games on campus at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. The Pac-8 did not allow a second bowl team until the 1975 season.


1973 Stanford Cardinals football team, Game summaries, California
Junior running back Scott Laidlaw gained 132 yards on 23 carries while Rod Garcia finished his career with 42 field goals, and NCAA record, and 18 for the season, which tied the NCAA record. Stanford played most of the second half without starting quarterback Mike Boryla, who left the game with a bruised throwing arm.


1973 Stanford Cardinals football team, All-conference
Five Stanford players were named to the All-Pac-8 team: quarterback Mike Boryla, wide receiver Bill Singler, defensive tackle Roger Stillwell, safety Randy Poltl, and kicker Rod Garcia; Singler and Stillwell were juniors.


1973 Stanford Cardinals football team, NFL Draft
Six Stanford seniors were selected in the 1974 NFL Draft.


1973 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1973 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1972–73 season, and the culmination of the 1973 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens, a rematch of the 1971 Final. The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series, four games to two.


1973 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
Chicago defeated the St. Louis Blues 4–1 and the New York Rangers 4–1 to advance to the final.


1973 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
Montreal defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4–2 and the Philadelphia Flyers 4–1 to set up an "Original Six" final.


1973 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries
Yvan Cournoyer and Jacques Lemaire would both have 12 points in the finals for the Canadiens. The Conn Smythe Trophy went to Cournoyer, who had six goals. It was Henri Richard's eleventh win of the Stanley Cup and Scotty Bowman's first.


1973 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The 1973 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Henri Richard by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Canadiens 6–4 win over the Black Hawks in game six.


1973 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup


1973 Star World Championships
The 1973 Star World Championships were held in San Diego, United States in 1973.


1973 Star World Championships, Results
Legend: DNF – Did not finish; DNS – Did not start; DSQ – Disqualified; WDR – Withdrew;


1973 State of the Union Address
The 1973 State of the Union Address was given to the 93rd United States Congress on Tuesday, February 2, 1973, by Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States. In the letter, Nixon wrote:


1973 State of the Union Address
"America continues to provide a better and more abundant life for more of its people than any other nation in the world. We have passed through one of the most difficult periods in our history without surrendering to despair and without dishonoring our ideals as a people.


1973 State of the Union Address
Looking back, there is a lesson in all this for all of us. The lesson is one that we sometimes had to learn the hard way over the past few years. But we did learn it. That lesson is that even potentially destructive forces can be converted into positive forces when we know how to channel them, and when we use common sense and common decency to create a climate of mutual respect and goodwill.


1973 State of the Union Address
By working together and harnessing the forces of nature, Americans have unlocked some of the great mysteries of the universe.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion
On February 10, 1973, a gas explosion occurred inside a Texas Eastern Transmission Pipeline tank storing liquefied natural gas in the Bloomfield neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City, while 42 workers were cleaning the tank. The tank had supposedly been completely drained ten months earlier, but ignition occurred, causing a plume of combusting gas to rise.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion
Two workers near the top felt the heat and rushed to the safety of scaffolding outside, while the other 40 workers died as the concrete cap on the tank rose 20 to 30 feet (6.1 to 9.1 m) in the air and then came crashing back down, crushing them to death.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion
The incident was the worst industrial accident in Staten Island's history. It resulted in a moratorium on liquefied natural gas storage facilities in New York state.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Background
At the time of the incident, Rossville, Bloomfield, and other Staten Island neighborhoods had numerous liquefied natural gas storage tanks. In 1970, Distrigas had announced plans to build nine 37,800,000-US-gallon (143,000,000 l; 31,500,000 imp gal) gas tanks in Rossville, of which two were built. Opposition to such tanks developed slowly, but by 1971, many Staten Island residents were opposed to the construction of gas tanks.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Background
Gene and Edwina Cosgriff formed the group Bring Legal Action to Stop the Tanks (BLAST) to protest the tanks' construction after hearing about the theoretical negative effects of an oil spill within the nearby Arthur Kill waterway. Patrick A. Mercurio, BLAST's chairman, later said that according to scientists, "an explosion of a tank filled with gas would extend to an area eight miles by one mile—the equivalent of a small nuclear explosion".


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Background
The particular gas tank that exploded had a capacity of 660,000 barrels, and was 108 feet (33 m) tall with a diameter of 272 feet (83 m). The tank was owned by Texas Eastern Transmission Pipeline (TETCo) and had supposedly been drained in April 1972. However, the tank had a polyurethane lining, which enabled gas to be trapped inside the lining even after the liquid had been drained. At the time of the explosion, the men were sealing cracks in the plastic lining of the tank.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Background
The roof of the tank was designed to collapse in the event of an explosion. TETCo officials had been "fanatical about safety", and even on the day before the explosion, February 9, 1973, TETCo officials called Staten Island residents "hysterical" for raising concerns about the danger of storing gas near residential areas.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Incident
The explosion occurred on February 10, 1973, at about 1:00 p.m. EST. Jose Lema and Joseph Pecora, two survivors of the explosion, said that just before the explosion occurred, the space had heated up and a low "woof" could be heard from the ceiling. Pecora tapped Lema on the shoulder and the two workers escaped out of the stairway. Lema reported a loud explosion after the two men had escaped through an opening in the dome, though Pecora did not remember any sound. Another worker, John Carroll, had been on the roof and ran down the embankment around the tank, escaping with minor injuries.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Incident
Hundreds of first responders went to the site, including New York City Fire Department rescue companies 1 and 2, and found the bodies at about 1:00 a.m. EST on February 11. Rescuers developed a system to retrieve the corpses. Rescue and truck companies worked in shifts to recover the bodies, with one rescue company being assisted by several truck companies at any given time. Most of the bodies were retrieved quickly, with 28 victims having been extricated by February 12.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Incident
The recovery process was stymied by the presence of debris on the site, including granite slabs from the roof of the tank. The last body was not retrieved until February 22. A few bodies were identified by artifacts such as "rings, watches, and bracelets". Some sources claimed that 43 workers were killed, possibly based on initial media reports that counted Lema, Pecora, and Carroll, though the final death toll was 40.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Aftermath
The incident was the deadliest industrial accident in Staten Island's history. Investigators from the New York City Fire Department and from the United States Department of Labor found that natural gas pockets had been found both in the tank itself and in surrounding areas. Massachusetts Institute of Technology mechanical-engineering professor James A. Fay said that TETCo's storage of liquefied natural gas and naphtha, both volatile substances, was very dangerous. Experts from the gas industry disputed the fact that the explosion could have been caused by gas, saying "a construction accident" was the cause of the explosion.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Aftermath
In response to TETCo's claim that the liner was not flammable, scientists at the United States Bureau of Mines built a model of the tank and set it on fire, observing that the model had burned in a similar manner to the real tank. After investigators suggested that the tank may have been sabotaged, two TETCo workers confessed to breaking the lining to extend the tenure of their jobs, and were fired.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Aftermath
Politicians quickly took regulatory action. The New York City Council passed a bill imploring the New York City Department of City Planning to prohibit any gas storage tanks from being constructed. Mayor John Lindsay signed a bill on March 25 that prevented the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals from granting zoning variances for tanks, meaning that they could not be larger than 500,000 US gallons (1,900,000 l; 420,000 imp gal). The explosion resulted in a moratorium on liquefied natural gas storage facilities in New York state. The construction of two under-construction tanks in Rossville was subsequently abandoned. The Public Service Electric and Gas Company attempted to store natural gas in the two tanks, but dropped these plans in 1984 due to opposition. The statewide ban was repealed in January 2015, except within New York City, where it remained active.


1973 Staten Island gas explosion, Aftermath
Numerous lawsuits were filed by the estates of the victims, the first having been filed in December 1973. TETCo was charged with 40 counts of negligent homicide in 1974. Two years later, courts reached settlements of a combined $11 million in 33 civil lawsuits related to the explosion. The tank's site was cleared in 1993 and bought by NASCAR in 2004; since then, it has lain unused.


1973 Stevenage Borough Council election
The 1973 Stevenage Borough Council election were the first elections to the newly created Stevenage Borough Council took place on 7 June 1973 . This was on the same day as other local elections. The Local Government Act 1972 stipulated that the elected members were to shadow and eventually take over from the predecessor corporation on 1 April 1974. The election resulted in Labour gaining control of the council, which it has held continuously to the present day.


1973 Stockholm Open
The 1973 Stockholm Open was a tennis tournament played on hard courts and part of the 1973 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix and took place at the Kungliga tennishallen in Stockholm, Sweden. The tournament was held from 5 November through 11 November 1973. Total prize money for the event was $75,000, with the winner receiving $10,000, and a record 24,000 spectators attended the tournament.


1973 Stockholm Open, Finals, Doubles
Jimmy Connors /  Ilie Năstase defeated  Bob Carmichael /  Frew McMillan 6–3, 6–7, 6–2


1973 Stockholm Open – Doubles
Tom Okker and Marty Riessen were the defending champions, but lost in the semifinals this year.


1973 Stockholm Open – Doubles
Jimmy Connors and Ilie Năstase won the title, defeating Bob Carmichael and Frew McMillan 6–3, 6–7, 6–2 in the final.


1973 Stockholm Open – Singles
Stan Smith was the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals this year.


1973 Stockholm Open – Singles
Tom Gorman won the title, defeating Björn Borg 6–3, 4–6, 7–6 in the final.


1973 Stockholm municipal election
A Stockholm municipal election was held on 16 September 1973 to allocate the 101 seats of the Stockholm City Council (Stockholms stadsfullmäktige) amongst the various Swedish political parties using a party-list proportional representation system. The election was held concurrently with a Swedish parliamentary election. Voter turnout for the municipal election in Stockholm was 88.6%.


1973 Strabane District Council election
Elections to Strabane District Council were held on 30 May 1973 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.


1973 Strabane District Council election, Districts results, Area A
1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist


1973 Strabane District Council election, Districts results, Area B
1973: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x United Loyalist Coalition


1973 Strabane District Council election, Districts results, Area C
1973: 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist


1973 Sugar Bowl
The 1973 Sugar Bowl, part of the 1973 bowl game season, took place on December 31, 1973, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) met the independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish; both teams were undefeated.


1973 Sugar Bowl
Underdog Notre Dame won 24–23; the game received a 25.3 Nielsen rating, making it one of the highest-rated college football games in history.


1973 Sugar Bowl, Teams, Alabama
Alabama completed the 1973 regular season with an 11–0 record, as conference champions and as national champions as determined by the final UPI coaches poll, released in early December. Following their victory over Auburn, university officials announced they accepted an invitation to play in the Sugar Bowl. The appearance marked the sixth for Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, their 27th overall bowl game appearance and their first all-time meeting against Notre Dame.


1973 Sugar Bowl, Teams, Notre Dame
Notre Dame finished the regular season with a 10–0 record. Following their victory over Miami, university officials announced they accepted an invitation to play in the Sugar Bowl. The appearance marked the first for Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, and their fifth overall bowl game appearance.


1973 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
With a cold rain falling, Notre Dame opened the scoring with a Wayne Bullock 6-yard touchdown run, and after a missed extra point took an early 6–0 lead. In the second quarter, Alabama took the lead on a 6-yard Randy Billingsley touchdown run, only to see the Irish go up 14–7 on the following play. On the ensuing kickoff, was returned 93-yards for a touchdown by Al Hunter. The Tide cut the lead to 14–10 late in the quarter on a 39-yard Bill Davis field goal.


1973 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
In the third quarter, the teams traded touchdowns with Alabama scoring first on a 5-yard Wilbur Jackson touchdown run and Notre Dame on a 12-yard Eric Penick touchdown run to make the score 21–17 entering the final period. After quarterback Richard Todd made a 25-yard touchdown reception from Mike Stock on a beautiful trick play, Davis missed the extra point to only put Alabama up 23–21. The Irish responded with a 19-yard field goal by Bob Thomas to take the lead 24–23 with 4:26 remaining in the game.


1973 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
Late in the fourth quarter, Alabama pinned Notre Dame back deep in Irish territory with a punt, hoping to get the ball back within easy range of a game-winning field goal. During the punt, the Alabama punter was run into and Notre Dame was flagged with a 15 yard roughing the kicker personal foul. In 1973, a personal foul wasn't an automatic first down in college football, so since it occurred on a 3rd and 20, accepting the penalty would have given Alabama a fourth and 5 on their own 45 yard line, only down one with mere minutes remaining.


1973 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
Coach Bear Bryant, knowing even a safety would win the game, decided to decline the penalty and try and stop Notre Dame who had to start on their own 1 yard line. Bryant's strategy seemed ready to pay off when his defense stymied Notre Dame on two plays and forced 3rd and 10 on their 1 yard line. However, on third and long Irish QB Tom Clements connected with backup TE Robin Weber on a long pass that gave the Irish a first down and allowed them to run out the clock. With their victory, the Associated Press awarded the Irish the national championship in ranking them first in their final poll.


1973 Summer Universiade
The 1973 Summer Universiade, also known as the VII Summer Universiade, took place in Moscow, Soviet Union.


1973 Sun Bowl
The 1973 Sun Bowl was a college football bowl game that featured the Missouri Tigers and the Auburn Tigers.


1973 Sun Bowl, Background
Missouri finish fourth in the Big Eight Conference. Auburn lost their final two games to #20 Georgia and #1 Alabama to finish eight in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the first time since 1966, although they were invited to a bowl for the sixth straight season. This was Missouri's first Sun Bowl and Auburn's first since 1968.


1973 Sun Bowl, Game summary
A Missouri fumble on their own 49-yard line gave Auburn great field position, with Roger Pruett kicking a 35 yard field goal to give Auburn a 3–0 lead in the second quarter. When Auburn got the ball back, Rick Neel fumbled at his own 35, giving the ball back to Missouri. Chuck Link took a pitch from quarterback Ray Smith, and he passed the ball 35 yards to tight end John Kelsey for a touchdown to make it 7–3 Missouri.


1973 Sun Bowl, Game summary
On second down of Auburn's ensuing possession, Wade Whatley fumbled the handoff, giving the ball back to Missouri again, this time giving it to them at the 24. Four plays later, Ray Bybee plunged in for a touchdown to make it 14–3. With 3:08 to go in the half, Missouri scored, this time on a Ray Smith touchdown pass to Kelsey to make it 21v3.


1973 Sun Bowl, Game summary
Auburn soon moved 80 yards in three minutes, culminating in a Phil Gargis touchdown pass to Thomas Gossom on 4th and goal at the 17 to make it 21–10 with 15 seconds remaining in the half. But on the ensuing kickoff return, John Moseley returned the ball 84 yards for a touchdown to make it 28–10 as the first half expired. A fumble by Gargis on a pitch was recovered at the 35 by Missouri, who responded with a Smith touchdown pass to Jim Sharp to make it 34–10. Auburn scored on a Gargis pass to Gossom from 32 yards out to make it 34–17, but neither team scored for the rest of the game. Ray Bybee rushed the ball 27 times for 127 yards in an MVP effort.


1973 Sun Bowl, Aftermath
Missouri returned to the Sun Bowl in 2006, while Auburn has not returned since this game.


1973 Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 1973 Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council election was held on 10 May 1973 as part of the first elections to the new local authorities established by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales. The entirety of the new 78-seat council was up for election, with each of the 26 new council wards returning three councillors by first-past-the-post.


1973 Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council election, Background
The election took place following the elections to the Tyne and Wear County Council in April. The Local Government Act 1972 stipulated that the elected members were to shadow and eventually take over from the predecessor corporation on 1 April 1974. The order in which the councillors were elected dictated their term serving, with third-place candidates serving two years and up for re-election in 1975, second-placed three years expiring in 1976 and first-placed five years until 1978.


1973 Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election results
The election resulted in a clear majority for the Labour Party, which won 56 of the 78 seats on the new Council.


1973 Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election results
The election resulted in the following composition of the Council:


1973 Surinamese general election
General elections were held in Suriname on 19 November 1973. The result was a victory for the National Party Combination (an alliance of the National Party of Suriname, the Nationalist Republican Party, the  Party for National Unity and Solidarity and the Suriname Progressive People's Party), which won 22 of the 39 seats. Voter turnout was 76.1%.


1973 Surinamese general election, Results
1 The VHP bloc was an alliance of the VHP, the Indonesian People's Party and the Progressive Bush Negro Party.


1973 Svenska Cupen Final
The 1973 Svenska Cupen final took place on 31 May 1973 at Stadsparksvallen in Jönköping. The match was contested by Allsvenskan sides Malmö FF and Åtvidabergs FF. The two clubs had faced each other just two years earlier in the 1971 Final . Åtvidaberg played their fourth final in total, Malmö FF played their ninth final in total. Malmö FF won their seventh title with a 7–0 victory.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix
The 1973 Grand Prix of Sweden was a Formula One motor race held at the Scandinavian Raceway, Anderstorp on 17 June 1973. It was race 7 of 15 in both the 1973 World Championship of Drivers and the 1973 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 80-lap race was won by McLaren driver Denny Hulme after he started from sixth position. Ronnie Peterson finished second for the Lotus team and Tyrrell driver François Cevert came in third.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix
Ronnie Peterson's success with John Player Team Lotus was the catalyst for a Swedish Grand Prix and the race was held for the first time, at World Championship level, at the grandly-named Scandinavian Raceway in 1973.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix, Background, Entry
A total of 29 F1 cars were entered for this event, however only 22 arrived for the race. The field was smaller than usual as there was no time for teams to repair damaged cars after the Monaco, as they had to be transported 1,200 miles from Monaco to Anderstorp.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix, Background, Entry
A number of drivers were missing from action; Arturo Merzario (Scuderia Ferrari), Chris Amon (Martini Racing Team Tecno), Andrea de Adamich (Ceramica Pagnossin Brabham)., David Purley (LEC Refrigeration Racing March) and James Hunt (Hesketh Racing March). Meanwhile, Nanni Galli had decided to retire, so Frank Williams Racing Cars entered Danish driver, Tom Belsø, however it became clear that there was no funding available from his sponsors for the race. Swedish driver, Reine Wisell had rented LEC's March 731.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix, Qualifying
Ronnie Peterson did not disappoint his fans in qualifying, taking pole in his Lotus 72E from Tyrrell's François Cevert. Cevert came close to taking pole, but Peterson took it by just 0.089 of a second. The World Championship contenders shared the second row, with Jackie Stewart ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi, while Carlos Reutemann and Denny Hulme made the third row.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix, Race
The race was held over 80 laps of the Scandinavian Raceway circuit, in front of a crowd of over 50,000 spectators. There was a delayed start caused by the Grand Prix Drivers' Association complaining about photographers in dangerous places around the circuit.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix, Race
Emerson Fittipaldi made the best start and grabbed second behind local hero, Ronnie Peterson. The Tyrrell 006 of François Cevert was third with teammate Jackie Stewart behind him. Carlos Reutemann and Denny Hulme completed the top six, although by lap four, the McLaren of Hulme had moved ahead of the Brabham. The order remained stable until Stewart passed Cevert and began to chase the two JPS Lotuses. By this time, Cevert was having trouble with his tyres and dropped back and was overtaken by Hulme on lap 62. Hulme then started close in on Stewart.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix, Race
For 70 laps it looked like this was going to be a one-two for John Player Team Lotus with Peterson first and reigning World Champion, Fittipaldi second. However disaster struck when Fittipaldi retired with gearbox failure. With just three laps to go, Hulme overtook Stewart, when the Scot suffered a rear brake failure. Hulme quickly closed the gap on the leader, Peterson having major trouble with tyre wear and fighting to stay on the track.


1973 Swedish Grand Prix, Race
On the 79th and penultimate lap Hulme was able to pass the local hero to snatch victory, the New Zealander's decision to run harder tyres on his McLaren-Cosworth M23 having paid off. Peterson was powerless to defend and eventually finished four seconds adrift  in second place, that was as close as any Swede came to winning on home soil. Hulme expressed sadness to "have taken that away from Ronnie." Cevert was a further 10.6 seconds behind Peterson.


1973 Swedish Open
The 1973 Swedish Open was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts held in Båstad, Sweden. It was classified as a Group B category tournament and was part of the 1973 Grand Prix circuit. It was the 26th edition of the tournament and was held from 8 July through 15 July 1973. Stan Smith won the singles title.


1973 Swedish Open, Finals, Doubles
Nikola Pilić /  Stan Smith defeated  Bob Carmichael /  Frew McMillan 2–6, 6–4, 6–4


1973 Swedish Pro Tennis Championships
The 1973 Swedish Pro Tennis Championships was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 2nd and final edition of Swedish Pro Tennis Championships, and was part of the 1973 World Championship Tennis circuit. It took place at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 23 April through 29 April 1973.


1973 Swedish Pro Tennis Championships, Finals, Doubles
Roy Emerson /  Rod Laver defeated  Nikola Pilić /  Allan Stone, 6–7, 6–4, 6–1


1973 Swedish Rally
The 1973 Swedish Rally (formally the 24th International Swedish Rally) was the second round of the inaugural World Rally Championship season. Run in mid-February around Karlstad, Sweden, the rally was the only snow and ice rally of the WRC calendar, a distinction it would keep as it remained a fixture of the WRC through the years. Only in 2007 would it finally be joined on the schedule by a second snow rally in Norway.


1973 Swedish Rally, Report
In 1973, and for several years afterward, only manufacturers were given points for finishes in WRC events. After the Alpine A110s dominated the earlier Monte Carlo Rally, Sweden was instead taken by Swedish drivers Stig Blomqvist and Per Eklund, both driving Swedish-built Saab 96 V4 cars. While Jean-Luc Thérier did get an Alpine onto the podium in third place, it was the only such car to finish and he was one of only two drivers not of Scandinavian nationality to complete the race.


1973 Swedish football Division 2
Statistics of Swedish football Division 2 for the 1973 season.


1973 Swedish general election
General elections were held in Sweden on 16 September 1973. The Social Democratic remained the largest party, winning 156 of the 350 seats.


1973 Swedish general election
For most of the campaign, the opposition parties had led the socialist parties in the polls. It has been speculated that several events influenced the outcome of the election in favour of the government: the death of King Gustaf VI Adolf the previous day, the Norrmalmstorg robbery and the 1973 Chilean coup d'état. Palme had delivered an impassioned speech on Salvador Allende's legacy on the eve of the election, in which he praised the democratic system.


1973 Swedish general election
The election instead produced a draw, with the socialist and liberal-conservative blocs each winning 175 seats. Since the opposition could not pass a motion of no confidence against Palme's government, he was able to remain in power. In order to pass legislation the Social Democrats had to draw lots or seek support from the opposition. To prevent this scenario from reoccurring, the number of seats in the Riksdag was adjusted to an odd number for subsequent elections. In the popular vote, while winning an equal number of seats the socialist bloc won 2,522,656 votes to the 2,518,858 for the liberal-conservative bloc, a net difference of 3,798 votes or 48.80 % versus 48.73 %, although the seats ended up being shared equally because of the narrow margin.


1973 Swedish general election, Results
There were 5,160,146 valid ballots cast in the election. Blank or invalid ballots were not counted towards the results.


1973 Swedish general election, Results, By municipality
Votes by municipality. The municipalities are the color of the party that got the most votes within the coalition that won relative majority.


1973 Swedish general election, Results, By municipality
Cartogram of the map to the left with each municipality rescaled to the number of valid votes cast.


1973 Swedish general election, Results, By municipality
Votes by municipality as a scale from red/Left-wing bloc to blue/Centre-right bloc.


1973 Swedish general election, Results, By municipality
Cartogram of vote with each municipality rescaled in proportion to number of valid votes cast. Deeper blue represents a greater relative majority for the centre-right coalition, brighter red represents a greater relative majority for the left-wing coalition.


1973 Swiss League Cup
The 1973 Swiss League Cup was the second Swiss League Cup competition. It was played in the summer of 1973 as a pre-season tournament to the 1973–74 Swiss football season. It was won by Grasshopper Club Zürich who defeated FC Winterthur 5–4 on penalties after a 2–2 draw in the final.


1973 Swiss League Cup, Final
The final took place on 10 October 1973 at Letzigrund in Zürich.


1973 Swiss referendums
Eight referendums were held in Switzerland in 1973. The first two were held on 4 March on amendments to the Swiss Federal Constitution on education and promoting research. Whilst the education proposal was approved by a majority of voters, it failed to receive the support of a majority of cantons. The research proposal was approved by both. The third referendum was held on 20 May on another constitutional amendment, removing articles 25 and 52 regarding Jesuits and cloisters, and was approved.


1973 Swiss referendums
The final five referendums were held on 2 December on price controls, the credit system, measures to stabilise the construction market, a reversal of the income tax write-off and a constitutional amendment regarding the protection of animals, all of which were approved.


1973 Syracuse Orangemen football team
The 1973 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The team was led by head coach Ben Schwartzwalder, in his 25th and final year with the team, and played their home games at Archbold Stadium in Syracuse, New York. The team finished with a record of 2–9. At the conclusion of the season, Ben Schwartzwalder retired as Syracuse's all-time winningest coach with an overall record of 153–91–3.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid
The 1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters Raid was an aerial strike carried out by the Israeli Air Force on October 9, 1973, the fourth day of the Yom Kippur War. Following a strike by Syrian surface-to-surface missiles against settlements and installations in northern Israel, seven F-4 Phantom IIs from 119 Squadron  attacked the Syrian General Staff Headquarters (GHQ) and adjacent buildings in downtown Damascus.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Background
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) had entered the Yom Kippur War confident that it could deal with the threats posed by enemy air defences and be able to provide Israeli ground forces with essential close air support. When war broke out, however, the desperate situation along the fronts forced the IAF to abandon its plans for the suppression of enemy air defences, and concentrate its efforts on halting Egyptian and Syrian advances.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Background
The comprehensive Arab air defences systems subsequently exacted a heavy toll from the IAF, with some 50 aircraft, 15 percent of its frontline force, lost on the first two days of the war. The worst blow had come on the second day, October 7, 1973, when six F-4 Phantoms were lost during Operation Doogman 5, a failed attempt to neutralize Syrian air defence on the Golan Heights. Israeli efforts nevertheless succeeded in turning the tide, especially in the north, where on October 8 Syrian advances were halted.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Background
At 03:35 on October 9, Syrian FROG-7 Surface-to-surface missiles struck Israel's northern air base at Ramat David, killing one pilot and injuring several soldiers. Additional missiles struck civilian settlements nearby, including Migdal HaEmek and Kibbutz Gvat. The Israeli government decided to retaliate fiercely for the Syrian FROG attack, both to deter future strikes and to disrupt Syrian war efforts. The IAF was to destroy the infrastructure on which Syria's war-making capacity depended, targeting strategic targets in Syria such as its oil industry and electricity generating system.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Background
The first target was to be the Syrian General Staff Headquarters in the prosperous Abu Rummaneh district of Damascus. The raid was to disrupt Syrian command and control, but would also serve to deter Jordan from joining the war and would prove that despite the blows the IAF had suffered, it would not be deterred from taking the war to Syria.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Strike
In order to allow IAF aircraft to strike targets inside Syria without overflying the heavily defended regions around the Golan Heights, new attack routes through Lebanon had to be opened. The IAF therefore first attacked the Lebanese radar station at Barouk, which had been linked to the Syrian air defence network and was capable of supplying Syrian defenders with advance warning of Israeli strikes.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Strike
Three IAF squadrons were assigned the task of attacking the Syrian GHQ in Damascus and each was to contribute 8 F-4E Phantom IIs. Leading the strike would be a formation from 119 "Bat" Squadron, led by squadron deputy CO Arnon Lavoshin (Lapidot). These were to be followed by 107 Squadron Phantoms led by squadron leader Iftach Spector, with a 69 Squadron 8-ship formation coming in last.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Strike
Having taken off from their bases in Israel, the three Israeli formations first headed out over the Mediterranean, before turning north towards Lebanon and then east towards Damascus. Shortly after take-off from Tel-Nof, one of the 119 Squadron Phantoms suffered a mechanical fault, forcing it to abort and leaving seven to carry on. Approaching their target, the Phantom formations encountered heavy cloud cover, obscuring their target and making low-altitude approach, essential for the surprise attack, difficult.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Strike
Commanding the leading formation, Arnon Lavoshin was contemplating calling off the strike, but broke radio silence to inform his formation that they would nevertheless continue. Eventually a break in the clouds over Damascus allowed the Phantoms to see the ground, re-orient themselves and head for their target, catching Syrian air defences off their guard. Only after the first bombs had already struck their targets did the air-raid sirens sound.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Strike
One after the other, the seven 119 Phantoms released their bombloads. The top floors of the Syrian GHQ were hit, as were the adjacent Syrian Air Force headquarters, a nearby TV station, a Soviet cultural center and several other structures in the city's diplomatic quarter. Having arrived unchallenged, the Israeli aircraft extricating themselves were now engaged by the dense air defence array guarding Damascus. Two aircraft were hit. One Phantom was downed outright, killing pilot Captain Dov Shafir. His navigator, Lieutenant Yaakov Yaakobi, fell into Syrian captivity where he was beaten and tortured. Another aircraft was heavily damaged and suffered an engine fire, yet its pilot, Major Omri Afek, managed to bring it to a safe landing in Ramat David.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Strike
Unlike Lavoshin's formation, the eight 107 Squadron Phantoms from Hatzerim were flying a slightly different route to the target. These failed to spot any opening in the cloud cover over the target and therefore requested an alternate target. The Phantoms were diverted to bomb Syrian armor near Hushniyah, on the Golan Heights. Their strike decimated a tank column and allowed Israeli forces to push Syrian forces back over the pre-war ceasefire lines. The trailing 69 Squadron aircraft, having heard the 107 strike called off, returned to base after dumping their bombs and excess fuel in the Mediterranean, a decision which would later lead to much criticism from fellow pilots.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Aftermath
Syria reported 26 civilians were killed in the strike and 117 injured, while the Soviet Union reported 30 people killed in its cultural center. Among the dead were several foreign diplomats. The collateral damage caused by the strike earned Israel a sharp rebuke from the international community, with the Soviet ambassador to the United Nations condemning the raid as "barbaric". Syria claimed its air defences had shot down four of the attacking aircraft.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Aftermath
The raid on the Syrian GHQ, as well as on other strategic targets, nevertheless prompted Syria to withdraw air defence assets from the front in order to protect its high-value assets, thereby thinning front line defences. Both the Syrian GHQ and Air Force headquarters were forced to relocate. Israeli POWs returning after the war revealed that several airmen had been held in the bowels of the air force command center at the time of the strike and that the Syrians had later questioned them about how the IAF had known to avoid hitting their quarters.


1973 Syrian General Staff Headquarters raid, Aftermath
Major Arnon Lavoshin was awarded the Medal of Distinguished Service, Israel's third-highest wartime decoration, for leading the raid. His navigator, Lieutenant Elazar Lior, received an IDF Chief-of-Staff citation. Major Afek, leading 119's second four-ship formation, was also awarded the Medal of Distinguished Service for his role in the raid and for nursing his stricken aircraft to a safe landing, as well as for several other undertakings later in the war.


1973 Syrian constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Syria on 12 March 1973. The proposed amendments were approved by 97.8% of voters, with turnout reported to be 88.9%.


1973 Syrian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Syria on 25 and 26 May 1973. The result was a victory for the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, which won 122 of the 186 seats. They were also the first elections in which the Syrian-led Ba'ath Party ran for seats in parliament, the original Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party had been dissolved in 1966.


1973 São Paulo FC season
The 1973 football season was São Paulo's 44th season since club's existence.


1973 São Toméan Legislative Assembly election
Elections to a Legislative Assembly were held for the first and only time in Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe in March 1973.


1973 São Toméan Legislative Assembly election, Background
On 2 May 1972 the Portuguese National Assembly passed the Organic Law for the Overseas Territories, which provided for greater autonomy for overseas territories. São Tomé and Príncipe was to have a 16-member Legislative Assembly.


1973 São Toméan Legislative Assembly election, Background
Candidates were required to be Portuguese citizens who had lived in São Tomé and Príncipe for more than three years and be literate in Portuguese. As the Portuguese constitution banned political parties at the time, the majority of candidates were put forward by the ruling People's National Action movement, although some civic associations were allowed to nominate candidates.


1973 São Toméan Legislative Assembly election, Results
Out of a total population of 73,811, only 5,881 people registered to vote. A total of 4,781 people voted, giving a voter turnout of 81.2%.


1973 TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series
The 1973 TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series was an Australian motor racing competition open to Formula Ford racing cars. It was the fourth annual Australian national series for Formula Fords.


1973 TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series
The series was won by John Leffler, driving a Bowin P4a and a Bowin P6F.


1973 TANFL season
The 1973 Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL) premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged in Hobart, Tasmania, over nineteen (19) roster rounds and four (4) finals series matches between 7 April and 15 September 1973.


1973 TANFL season, Participating Clubs, State Grand Final
(Saturday, 29 September 1973)   30 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine


1973 TANFL season, 1973 TANFL Ladder, Round 3
(Saturday, 21 April. Monday, 23 April & Wednesday, 25 April 1973)


1973 TANFL season, 1973 TANFL Ladder, Grand Final
Source: All scores and statistics courtesy of the Hobart Mercury and Saturday Evening Mercury (SEM) publications.


1973 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 1973 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University (TCU) in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The Horned Frogs finished the season 3–8 overall and 1–6 in the Southwest Conference. The team was coached by Billy Tohill, in his third and final year as head coach. The Frogs played their home games in Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth, Texas.


1973 Taiyo Department Store fire
The Taiyo Department Store fire was a fire at the Taiyo Department Store, a department store in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The fire started at 1:15 p.m. on November 29, 1973; 103 people died. After the fire, regulations pertaining to the construction of buildings were strengthened, one of which mandated external stairs on highrise buildings.


1973 Taiyo Department Store fire
The Taiyo Department Store had a basement floor and nine stories. Some areas were under construction. It was the most popular department store in Kumamoto City at that time.


1973 Taiyo Department Store fire, Description
The fire started on the platform of steps between the second and third floors, on which goods were placed. The cause of the fire was never determined. The fire sprinkler system did not work because of ongoing construction work. The fire was televised live and it was reported that the smoke, which was in various colors and odors, was poisonous. Many people were saved from the rooftop of the store. Some people jumped to the ceiling of a nearby arcade under construction and were injured.


1973 Taiyo Department Store fire, Description
There were a total of 100 fatalities. Among the department store employees, 10 men and 36 women died, as well as three part-time female workers and three male construction workers. Among customers, 16 males and 32 females died. Causes of death included 70 deaths by carbon dioxide intoxication and 30 deaths by suffocation. Forty-three males and 77 females were injured. Seventy-one dead bodies were found: two on the third floor, 11 on the fourth floor, one on the fifth floor, 26 on the sixth floor, 30 on the seventh floor, and one on the eighth floor. The fire was one of the deadliest department store fires in Japan.


1973 Taiyo Department Store fire, Analysis
The Kumamoto City Physicians' Association later pointed out that every physicians' association should prepare for such disasters and organize rescue teams with medical instruments. Injured persons should be saved and transferred as soon as possible. There should be a unified system which gives directions in such large-scale disasters. Practitioners should work as volunteers.


1973 Taiyo Department Store fire, Analysis
Soon after the fire, a university professor observed the burnt department store and wrote the following comments.


1973 Taiyo Department Store fire, Aftermath
The 1972 Sennichi Department Store Building fire and the 1973 Taiyo Department Store fire, both of which caused many casualties, finally led to amendments of the Construction Standard Law and the Fire Fighting Law. These amendments mandated steps to prevent smoke from hindering escape.


1973 Talladega 500
The 1973 Talladega 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that was held on August 12, 1973, at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama (AIMS).


1973 Talladega 500
The race, won by Dick Brooks, was his only NASCAR career win. It was also the last win recorded for Plymouth as a NASCAR manufacturer. A Plymouth car winning the 1973 Talledega 500 was considered an upset.


1973 Talladega 500
The race set AIMS racetrack records (at the time of the race) for number of drivers leading in a race (15), number of lead changes in a race (64), and number of caution laps in a race (52). It also was the first race at the track in which a driver was fatally injured (Larry Smith).


1973 Talladega 500, Legend
This race was is also remembered for Bobby Isaac retiring in the middle of the race, after the fatal accident of Larry Smith, because he  stated “something told” him to quit. Media accounts at the time claimed he stated heard a voice telling him to get out of the car immediately or he would die. Talladega Super Speedway is rumored to be "haunted" due to the rumor that Talladega was built on top of a Native American burial ground.


1973 Talladega 500, Legend
As soon as he got to a telephone after climbing from the car, he called his wife and told her about it. He said that everything got very quiet in the car. There was no wind noise or engine noise. He then heard a voice tell him to get out of the car and he did without hesitation. He did return to racing later in his life, in 1977, racing on short tracks.


1973 Talladega 500, Summary, Larry Smith fatal crash
On lap 13 of the race, the #92 car of Larry Smith (Carling Black Label Racing) struck the outside retaining wall of turn 1 at (by radio broadcast estimates) approximately 180 miles per hour.


1973 Talladega 500, Summary, Larry Smith fatal crash
Smith was described on the radio broadcast as "(the car) coasting to a stop", and one commentator described the car being "driven down to the inside of turn number two" where the car was parked and track safety crews waited to meet it.


1973 Talladega 500, Summary, Larry Smith fatal crash
Two different commentators were under the initial belief that Smith had driven the car from the outside wall to the safety apron under his own power, and that the damage from the hit was sufficient to take him out of the race. Damage to the car was described as the right front wheel having been sheared off, and the front end significantly damaged, with the windshield smashed out and glass on the track.