1974 American 500, Race report
There were 36 drivers who competed in this 492-lap racing event. All except for Canadian native Earl Ross were born and bred in the United States of America.


1974 American 500, Race report
Joe Frasson's difficulties in handling his steering problems on lap 4 caused him to be credited with the last-place finish for this event. Elmo Langley became the lowest-finishing driver to finish the event; while J.D. McDuffie would be the last driver to achieve a DNF due to troubles with his stock car engine on lap 447. G.C. Spencer's vehicle suffered from an engine failure on lap 12 while Buddy Baker noticed that his car's brakes stopped working on lap 18. Transmission issues relegated Neil Castles to the sidelines on lap 21. Harry Jefferson's engine stopped working properly on lap 30 while Dick Brooks did terminal damage to his vehicle on lap 52. Engine failures would force Jody Ridley to leave the race on lap 85 and Dave Marcis to stop racing on lap 157.


1974 American 500, Race report
A faulty vehicular water pump ended Ed Negre's day on lap 240 while terminal vehicle damage on lap 317 would end Richie Panch's race weekend. David Sisco noticed that his vehicle's suspension was giving him problems on lap 357; forcing him to accept a 26th-place finish.


1974 American 500, Race report
The model years of the vehicles ranged from 1972 to 1974; with most of the field driving Chevrolet and Dodge vehicles.


1974 American 500, Race report
After four hours and thirteen minutes of racing, David Pearson would defeat Cale Yarborough by slightly more than two seconds in front of an eager audience of 35,000 NASCAR followers. While Richard Petty, Buddy Baker and David Pearson would dominate the opening laps of this event, the final laps would become a "Cale Yarborough and David Pearson show." The average speed of the vehicles in this racing event was 118.493 miles per hour (190.696 km/h) while Richard Petty would metaphorically scorch the track with his solo qualifying speed of 135.297 miles per hour (217.739 km/h).


1974 American 500, Race report
Individual earnings for each driver ranged for the winner's share of $16,350 ($85,799 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's share of $550 ($2,886 when adjusted for inflation). NASCAR officials permitted the handover of $99,465 for all the qualifying drivers of this racing event ($521,956 when adjusted for inflation).


1974 American 500, Race report
Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.


1974 American Airlines Tennis Games
The 1974 American Airlines Tennis Games was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 1st edition of the Indian Wells Masters and was an ATP sanctioned tournament but was not part of the WCT or Grand Prix seasons. The tournament was played in Tucson, Arizona and ran from March 18 through March 24, 1974. First-seeded John Newcombe won the singles title and $25,000 first-prize money.


1974 American Airlines Tennis Games, Champions, Men's Doubles
Charlie Pasarell /  Sherwood Stewart defeated  Tom Edlefsen /  Manuel Orantes 6–4, 6–4


1974 American Airlines Tennis Games – Doubles
Charlie Pasarell and Sherwood Stewart won in the final 6-4, 6-4 against Tom Edlefsen and Manuel Orantes.


1974 American Airlines Tennis Games – Singles
John Newcombe won in the final 6–3, 7-6 against Arthur Ashe.


1974 American League Championship Series
The 1974 American League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the East Division Champion Baltimore Orioles and the West Division Champion Oakland Athletics. It was a rematch of the previous year's series and third overall between the two teams.


1974 American League Championship Series
The A's beat the Orioles three games to one to win their third straight pennant, then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series for their third consecutive championship.


1974 American League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 1
The Birds jumped all over the ace of the Oakland staff, Catfish Hunter, pounding him for six runs and eight hits, including three homers in less than five innings. Hunter had a skein of seven straight decisions over the Birds going into the game. Southpaw Mike Cuellar pitched steady ball for the winners and got the decision with relief help in the ninth inning from Ross Grimsley.


1974 American League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 1
A portent of things to happen came in the first inning when Paul Blair, second man in the batting order, hit a Hunter pitch for a home run. Bert Campaneris' single that followed a fielder's choice and a stolen base by Bill North gave the A's a temporary tie in the third inning. But a double by Bobby Grich and Tommy Davis' single put the Orioles ahead to stay in the fourth. A four-run outburst in the fifth, featuring homers by Brooks Robinson and Bobby Grich, locked up the game and sent Hunter to the showers.


1974 American League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 1
When Cuellar yielded a single to Jesús Alou and a double to Claudell Washington, both pinch-hitters, to open the last of the ninth, he was pulled in favor of Grimsley, who got the last three outs without trouble.


1974 American League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 2
The A's assumed command the next day when Ken Holtzman permitted the Orioles only five hits en route to a 5–0 triumph. The Oakland club got an unearned run in the fourth when Bobby Grich dropped a foul pop by Sal Bando for an error. Two pitches later, Bando drove a Dave McNally pitch over the left-field fence for a homer. Joe Rudi tripled home North in the sixth for the second run. In the eighth inning, with two men on—the result of a walk and an error—Ray Fosse hit a home run off reliever Grant Jackson to put the game on ice.


1974 American League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 3
In a great complete-game pitching battle between Vida Blue and Jim Palmer, Blue hurled a two-hitter and Palmer a four-hitter. But one of the four safe blows yielded by the Oriole right-hander was a home run by Sal Bando in the fourth inning, the only run of the game.


1974 American League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 4
The fourth game belonged to the A's, although their offense was able to produce only one safe hit for the afternoon. Cuellar pitched a no-hitter for 4⅔ innings, but walked four consecutive batters to give Oakland a run. During his stint on the mound, the Oriole lefty walked no less than nine batters and was removed while yet to give up a hit.


1974 American League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 4
The run that was to prove decisive came in the seventh off reliever Ross Grimsley. Sal Bando walked and Reggie Jackson stroked a double off the left-field wall to plate Bando. The Orioles almost pulled the game out of the bag in their last turn at bat. With one out and Rollie Fingers pitching in relief of Hunter, Paul Blair walked and Bobby Grich singled. A force play provided the second out of the inning but Boog Powell's single drove in one run, finally ending a thirty-inning scoreless streak. Fingers, however, was equal to the occasion and fanned Don Baylor on a fast ball to clinch another league crown for Oakland.


1974 American League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 4
Pitching dominated the four-game set, the A's batted a meager .183, but the Orioles were even lower at a paltry .177. After Game 1, superior Oakland pitching held Baltimore to just one run and twelve hits over the next three games, hitting a very weak .135 (12 for 89), with no extra-base hits.


1974 American Samoan electoral referendum
A referendum on direct election of governors and vice governors was held in American Samoa on 18 June 1974. Voters were asked to approve a proposal which permitted direct popular election of governors and lieutenant governors. The measure was narrowly rejected, with 47% voting yes and 53% voting no. An identical measure would be put before voters again two years later and was passed.


1974 American Samoan electoral referendum, Results
Voters were asked the question "Shall the people of American Samoa elect a governor and lieutenant-governor by popular vote?"


1974 American Soccer League
Statistics of the American Soccer League II for the 1974 season.


1974 American Soccer League, Playoffs, ASL Championship Series
The ASL championship was set as a two-match aggregate, with overtime to be played after the second leg to break a tie. Game 2 finished regulation with the teams tied on aggregate, 3–3. With the first overtime completed, a violent thunderstorm flooded the field and knocked out the stadium lights, effectively ending the match. A week later the match was replayed. After the Oceaneers' Rich Kratzer tied it late in regulation, the teams again went to extra time. In the second half of extra time Rhode Island got goals from Mohammad Attiah and Charlie McCully for the win, before New York added a final tally late.


1974 Amstel Gold Race
The 1974 Amstel Gold Race was the ninth edition of the annual road bicycle race "Amstel Gold Race", held on Sunday April 13, 1974, in the Dutch provinces of Limburg. The race stretched 238 kilometres, with the start in Heerlen and the finish in Meerssen. There were a total of 137 competitors, and 31 cyclists finished the race.


1974 Angus District Council election
The 1974 Angus District Council election took place on the 8 May 1974 to elect members of Angus District Council, as part of that years Scottish local elections.


1974 Annandale and Eskdale District Council election
A new double-tiered local government system was implemented after the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 was passed. These two tiers were regional councils and district councils.


1974 Annandale and Eskdale District Council election
No political party fielded candidates in the Annandale and Eskdale District Council election in 1974.


1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots
1974 Anti- Ahmadiyya riots was the single largest killing and looting of Ahmadi in Pakistan's history. The Islamist parties and some mainstream parties sided together to persecution of Ahmadis.


1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots, Background and Reasons
One of the major controversial differences between Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and mainstream Sunni and Shia Muslims is their different interpretations of Khatam an-Nabiyyin. Sunni and Shia Muslims are awaiting the coming of the Mahdi and the Second Coming of Jesus, reject the claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad whom Ahmadis believe to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was a vocal proponent of the Pakistan Movement and were actively engaged with the Muslim league, having strong relations with many prominent Muslim Leaguers and were opposed to the Congress-backed Jamaat-e-Islami and Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam.


1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots, Background and Reasons
After the independence of Pakistan in 1947 Ahmadis prospered and reached many high ranking Government and Military positions. Ahmadis held up stay as an important political force in Pakistan, but by 1970 religious parties made large headway due to radicalization and Saudi financial contributions and were a large political force in Pakistan. These parties continuously demanded a constitutional amendment to declare Ahmadis as non Muslims but to no avail, and turned to violent protests and hate-filled speeches, including the infamous 1953 Lahore riots. In 1974, the students of Nishtar Medical College had an altercation with Ahmadis at the Rabwah Railway Station. This event turned into a massive and violent anti-Ahmadiyya riot resulting in many casualties among Ahmadis and destruction to Ahmadiyya property.


1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots, Timeline of events
The riots were started by the students of Nishtar Medical College Multan attack on Ahmadis present in Rabwah Railway Station. This incident triggered year long country-wide attacks on Ahmadis leading to loss of many lives and property.


1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots, Aftermath, Pakistan
During the extremist Islamism of Zia-ul-Haq, a more strict anti-Ahmadiyya law was passed known as Ordinance XX. Ahmadi life became more persecuted and strict.


1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots, Aftermath, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
It was a great loss and worst year for the community. Many important members of the community were killed. There was a great loss to the buildings. Mirza Tahir Ahmad after implementation of Ordinance XX left Pakistan to migrate for UK in 1984. The recording of debate on the Ahmadi issue was not released. Later, Ahmad prove the declaration of non-Muslims as a truth of the community.


1974 Arab League summit
The 1974 Arab League summit was a meeting of Arab leaders held in Rabat, Morocco in October 1974. Leaders to twenty Arab countries were present, including King Hussein of Jordan and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, together with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). A unanimous resolution was passed which, for the first time, declared the PLO to be the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." Furthermore, the Arab League resolved that the "oil-rich Arab states ... [ provide] multi-annual financial aid to the [states in confrontation with Israel] and the PLO."


1974 Arab League summit
The summit shaped the future of the conflict in several ways. First, it forced King Hussein to relinquish his claim to be able to speak for the Palestinians and to acknowledge that a future Palestinian state would have to be independent of Jordan. Second, it "weakened the American position. [ U.S. Secretary of State Henry] Kissinger agreed with the Israelis that it was preferable to negotiate with Hussein rather than with the PLO."


1974 Arab League summit
A Fatah plot to assassinate Hussein upon his arrival to the summit was uncovered by Moroccan authorities.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1974 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held in Buenos Aires on 13 January 1974. It was race 1 of 15 in both the 1974 World Championship of Drivers and the 1974 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 53-lap race was won by McLaren driver Denny Hulme after he started from tenth position. Niki Lauda finished second for the Ferrari team and his teammate Clay Regazzoni came in third.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix
For the first time, Formula One's visit to the Buenos Aires circuit saw them use the long and fast No.15 configuration, rather than the previously-used No.9 layout. This race was also the 8th and last victory of Hulme's Formula One career and, as of the 2021 British Grand Prix, the last for a New Zealand driver.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report
It had been one of the most frantic close seasons ever with only Ronnie Peterson, Denny Hulme, Carlos Reutemann and James Hunt remaining with their teams. Emerson Fittipaldi moved from Lotus to McLaren to be replaced by Jacky Ickx. McLaren now had sponsorship from Marlboro and Texaco. The team also entered a third car in their old colours of Yardley for Mike Hailwood. Hailwood's place at Surtees was taken by Jochen Mass where he partnered Carlos Pace, whilst Peter Revson had moved from McLaren to Shadow, where he was joined by Jean-Pierre Jarier.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report
Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni remained teammates but would be driving for Ferrari instead of BRM, who now with Motul sponsorship had three cars driven by Frenchmen Jean-Pierre Beltoise, Henri Pescarolo and François Migault. With the death of François Cevert and the retirement of Jackie Stewart, Tyrrell had an entirely new line-up in Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report
Wilson Fittipaldi left Formula One to start his own team, so his place along Reutemann at Brabham was taken by Richard Robarts. A privateer Brabham was run by John Goode Racing for John Watson under the Hexagon of Highgate banner. Howden Ganley and Hans Stuck were picked up by March Engineering.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report
Marlboro continued to back Frank Williams and his Iso-Marlboro-Ford FW for former Ferrari driver, Arturo Merzario. While Hesketh Racing were building their own car back in England, they entered James Hunt in a year-old March, while Graham Hill had Lola Cars build two cars for himself and Guy Edwards. Rikky von Opel completed the field, once again driving for Team Ensign.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
Peterson secured pole position, for John Player Team Lotus, averaging a speed of 120.542 mph. However, Scuderia Ferrari showed how much progress they had made during the winter, under the new management, led by Luca di Montezemolo, with Regazzoni qualifying alongside the Swede on the front row. The second row featured the McLaren of Fittipaldi and the Shadow of Revson, while James Hunt impressed in his Harvey Postlethwaite modified Hesketh March by taking fifth place on the grid.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report, Race
Peterson took an early lead from the fast starting Hunt, while Regazzoni, Revson and Hailwood all arrived at the first corner together and collided. Regazzoni and Revson spun, then Revson’s team-mate, Jarier ran into him. The cars of Mezario and Watson were also damaged in the melee, as Scheckter took to the grass in avoidance.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report, Race
After Hunt spun later on the opening lap, Reutemann moved into second, with Fittipaldi, Hailwood, Ickx and Hulme completing the top six. By lap three, Reutemann took the lead, while Fittipaldi visited the pits to have a plug lead reattached. This promoted Hailwood to third. By this stage, Ickx had dropped behind Hulme, but soon both were past the Yardley McLaren. Peterson began to fade due to brake trouble and was overtaken by Hulme and Ickx. By now Ickx was beginning to come under pressure from the Ferrari of Niki Lauda.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report, Race
On lap 27, the second Lotus was now in trouble, as Ickx pitted with a puncture. This left Lauda in a solid third place. The local hero, Reutemann seem to have the race under control when his Cosworth powered Brabham BT44 began to misfire and Hulme rapidly closed him down. On the penultimate lap, Hulme was past, taking the lead. As for Reutemann, his eventually ground to a halt on the last lap, running out of fuel, and was classified seventh overall. As a result, the Ferraris of Lauda and Regazzoni inherited a two-three at the finish.


1974 Argentine Grand Prix, Report, Race
Hulme won in a time of 1hr 41:02.010mins., averaging a speed of 117.405 mph, and was 9.27 seconds ahead of Lauda. Regazzoni was a further 11.14 seconds behind. Only other drivers to complete the full race distance were Hailwood, Beltoise and Depailler.


1974 Argentine Primera División
The 1974 Primera División season was the 83rd season of top-flight football in Argentina. Newell's Old Boys won the Metropolitano (1st title) and San Lorenzo (9th title) won the Nacional championship.


1974 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 1974 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented Arizona State University in the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. The offense scored 267 points while the defense allowed 163 points. Led by head coach Frank Kush, the Sun Devils finished with a 7–5 record.


1974 Arizona State Sun Devils football team, Season summary, TCU
Sophomore fullback Mark Lovett rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Dennis Sproul engineered two other scoring drives in the 37–7 win.


1974 Arizona State Sun Devils football team, 1975 NFL Draft
The following players were claimed in the 1975 NFL Draft.


1974 Arizona Wildcats football team
The 1974 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. In their second season under head coach Jim Young, the Wildcats compiled a 9–2 record (6–1 against WAC opponents), finished in second place in the WAC, and outscored their opponents, 263 to 174. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.


1974 Arizona Wildcats football team
Despite a 9–2 record, the Wildcats were not invited to a bowl game due to not winning the WAC (BYU defeated Arizona in their head-to-head matchup to win the WAC) and at the time, under WAC rules, only the conference winner would earn a bowl bid, in which case, the Fiesta Bowl.


1974 Arizona Wildcats football team
The team's statistical leaders included Bruce Hill with 1,814 passing yards, Jim Upchurch with 1,004 rushing yards, and Theopolis Bell with 700 receiving yards. Linebacker Mark Jacobs led the team with a school record 200 total tackles.


1974 Arizona Wildcats football team, Game summaries, Texas Tech
In a matchup of two top-20 teams, Arizona fell on the wrong end of it against Texas Tech, and lost in a low-scoring game for their first defeat of the season and ended their chances for an undefeated record.


1974 Arizona Wildcats football team, Game summaries, BYU
After losing on the road at Texas Tech, the Wildcats returned home and faced BYU in a big test in the WAC. The Cougars would outplay the Wildcats to give Arizona their second straight loss and take control of the WAC. The loss ultimately prevented Arizona from winning the WAC, as BYU went on to clinch both the conference title and Fiesta Bowl berth.


1974 Arizona Wildcats football team, Game summaries, Arizona State
In the regular season finale, Arizona battled Arizona State in the annual rivalry matchup. The Wildcats were looking to break a nine-game losing streak against the Sun Devils, with their last win occurring in 1964. Both teams held each other scoreless through the first three quarters before Arizona broke through in the fourth for a 10–0 shutout victory, and finally ended their decade-long streak of misery to ASU. To date, this remains the most recent shutout in the rivalry series and the only home win over the Sun Devils in the 1970s for the Wildcats. Also, it turned out to be Young's first and only win against ASU as Arizona's coach, as he would lose to them for the rest of his tenure. The victory led to the Wildcats winning nine games in a season for the first time in school history.


1974 Arizona gubernatorial election
The 1974 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1974. Incumbent Governor Jack Williams decided not to run for a fourth term as governor. Former United States Ambassador to Bolivia Raúl Héctor Castro, who was the Democratic nominee in 1970, won the Democratic nomination again in 1974, and narrowly won the general election, defeating Republican nominee Russell Williams by 0.85%. Castro was sworn into his first and only term as governor on January 6, 1975.


1974 Arizona gubernatorial election
Prior to the election, there was a recall effort led by Cesar Chavez against incumbent Governor Jack Williams, with 180,000 signatures submitted. Many of the signatures were invalidated by the Attorney General Gary Nelson, but this eventually overturned. By the time this occurred, however, it was meaningless due to the close proximity of the 1974 gubernatorial election, and thus a recall election did not occur.


1974 Arizona gubernatorial election
Approximately two years into his term as governor, Castro would resign to become United States Ambassador to Argentina.


1974 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 1974 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. In their 17th year under head coach Frank Broyles, the Razorbacks compiled a 6–4–1 record (3–3–1 against SWC opponents), finished in a tie for fourth place in the SWC, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 285 to 164.


1974 Arkansas gubernatorial election
The 1974 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974.


1974 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Incumbent Democratic Governor Dale Bumpers retired to run for the U.S. Senate.


1974 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Democratic nominee David Pryor defeated Republican nominee Ken Coon with 65.57% of the vote.


1974 Army Cadets football team
The 1974 Army Cadets football team represented the United States Military Academy in the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. In their first year under head coach Homer Smith, the Cadets compiled a 3–8 record and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 306 to 156. In the annual Army–Navy Game, the Cadets lost to the Midshipmen by a 19 to 0 score.


1974 Army Cadets football team
No Army players were selected as first-team players on the 1974 College Football All-America Team.


1974 Aryamehr Cup
The 1974 Aryamehr Cup was a men's professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Imperial Country Club in Tehran in Iran. The event was part of the 1974 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix as a Group AA category event. It was the third edition of the tournament was held from 21 October through 27 October 1974. Guillermo Vilas won the singles title and the trophy was presented by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.


1974 Aryamehr Cup
Due to the lack of a direct flight connection between Tehran and Barcelona, the location of the previous week's Trofeo Conde de Godó tournament, the qualifying tournament with an entry of 42 players was held in Barcelona. The six qualifiers were added to the 38 players with a direct entry to create a field of 44 players. The first four seeded players were Guillermo Vilas, Björn Borg, Manuel Orantes and Harold Solomon.


1974 Aryamehr Cup, Finals, Doubles
Manuel Orantes /  Guillermo Vilas defeated  Raúl Ramírez /  Brian Gottfried 7–6, 2–6, 6–2


1974 Asia Golf Circuit
The 1974 Asia Golf Circuit was the 13th season of golf tournaments that comprised the Asia Golf Circuit, formerly known as the Far East Circuit.


1974 Asia Golf Circuit
The circuit had a new sponsor in 1974, General Ibnu Sutowo. Sutowi was head of the state-controlled Indonesian oil company, Pertamina, and president of the Indonesian Golf Association. In this latter role Indonesia also joined the circuit, with the addition of the inaugural Indonesian Open expanding the schedule to ten tournaments for the first time.


1974 Asia Golf Circuit
Kuo Chie-Hsiung of Taiwan won the circuit overall prize from compatriot Lu Liang-Huan, who became the first player to win three times in one season but missed three tournaments due to an injured shoulder.


1974 Asia Golf Circuit, Schedule
The table below shows the 1974 Asia Golf Circuit schedule. With the addition of the Indonesian Open the circuit expanded to ten legs.


1974 Asia Golf Circuit, Final standings
The Asia Golf Circuit standings were based on a points system.


1974 Asian Games
The 7th Asian Games (Persian: بازی‌های آسیایی ۱۹۷۴) were held from 1 to 16 September 1974 in Tehran, Imperial State of Iran. The Aryamehr Sports Complex was built for the Games. The Asian Games were hosted in the Middle East for the first time. Tehran, the capital of Iran, played host to 3,010 athletes coming from 25 countries/NOCs, the highest number of participants since the inception of the Games.


1974 Asian Games
Fencing, gymnastics and women's basketball were added to the existing disciplines. The games were known for the use of state-of-the-art technology, from synthetic track to photo-finish cameras.


1974 Asian Games, History
Starting in 1962, the Games were hit by several crises. First, the host country Indonesia, refused to permit the participation of Israel and the Republic of China (Taiwan) due to political and religious issues. As a result, the IOC removed its sponsorship of the Games and terminated Indonesia as one of the IOC members. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), also removed their recognition of the Games.


1974 Asian Games, History
In 1970, South Korea dropped its plan to host the Games due to national security crisis; however, the main reason was the financial crisis, forcing the previous host Thailand to administer the Games again in Bangkok using funds transferred from South Korea. Prior to the Games, Japan was asked to host the Games, but declined due to Expo '70 in Osaka. This edition also marked the first time the Games were broadcast on television throughout the world.


1974 Asian Games, Host city selection
On 11 and 12 January 1968, a meeting was organised at the Bangkok, in between the representatives of nine Asian National Olympic Committees. The framework of the meeting was set up in another meeting held on 1 September 1970 during Bangkok Asian Games. Tehran was selected as host city after defeating Kuwait City and Tel Aviv.


1974 Asian Games, Organisation
The responsibility of organising the Seventh Asian Games was assigned to a special committee headed by the Amir Abbas Hoveida, then Prime Minister of Iran.


1974 Asian Games, Venues
The venue for the 1974 Asian Games was the multi-purpose sport complex– Aryamehr Sports Complex.


1974 Asian Games, Venues
The stadium was designed by Abdolaziz Farmanfarmaian and rupees 100,000 persons were required for the full construction, which was completed on 1  April 1971. The stadium was named to Aryamehr, meaning the light of Aryans referring to Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, then king of Iran.


1974 Asian Games, The Games, Opening ceremony
On 1 September 1974, the Seventh Asian Games were officially opened. The list of the guests included— Shah of Iran Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi, then Prime Minister of Iran Amir Abbas Hoveida, cabinet members of Iranian Government, President of Israel Ephraim Katzir, President of South Korea Park Chung-hee, King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej, diplomatic corps and representatives of participating Asian NOCs. The Aryamehr Stadium was filled with an estimated 100,000 spectators. After a speech by the president of Asian Games Federation, HRH Yadavendra Singh, Mohammad Reza Shah officially opened the Games. The ceremony featured a card stunt performed by students of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.


1974 Asian Games, The Games, Participating nations
The Asian Games Federation conference, which was held ten months before the Games, decided to expel the Republic of China (Taiwan) from the games and accepted the entry of the People's Republic of China. The Arab nations, Pakistan, China and North Korea refused to play with Israel in tennis, fencing, basketball and football. This was the last time Israel competed in the Asian Games.


1974 Asian Games, The Games, Calendar
In the following calendar for the 1974 Asian Games, each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport were held. The numeral indicates the number of event finals for each sport held that day. On the left, the calendar lists each sport with events held during the Games, and at the right, how many gold medals were won in that sport. There is a key at the top of the calendar to aid the reader.


1974 Asian Games, Medal table
The top ten ranked NOCs at these Games are listed below. The host nation, Iran, is highlighted.


1974 Asian Games medal table
The 1974 Asian Games (officially known as the Seventh Asian Games) was a multi-sport event held in Tehran, Iran from September 1, 1974, to September 16, 1974. This was the first time that Asian Games were celebrated in any Middle East country. A total of 3,010 athletes selected from 25 Asian National Olympic Committees participated in 16 sports divided into 202 events. The number of participating countries was the greatest in Asian Games history, eighteen nations competed in Bangkok, host of the 1970 Asian Games. Fencing, gymnastics (artistic) and women's basketball were included for the first time; while sailing—which made its debut in the previous Asian Games—was not included, however since 1978, sailing is a part of the Asian Games sports.


1974 Asian Games medal table
The Republic of China (Taiwan) was expelled from the Games after the decision made in the Asian Games Federation's conference held on November 16, 1973, to allow the entry of the People's Republic of China. Mongolia and North Korea also entered the Games for the first time. Athletes from the Arab nations, Pakistan, China and North Korea refused to face Israel in tennis, fencing, basketball and football events, due to political reasons.


1974 Asian Games medal table
Nineteen nations earned medals at the Games, and fifteen of them won at least one gold medal. Japan led the medal count for the seventh consecutive time in the Asian Games, with 75 gold and 175 overall medals. Competitors from the host nation, Iran, finished at the second spot in the medal table, the best performance of Iran since 1951, claiming 81 medals in total (including 36 gold). In its debut, China finished third with a total of 106 medals, including 33 gold. South Korea devolved to fourth position with 16 gold and 57 overall medals, South Korea ranking second in the medal table of the previous Asian Games.


1974 Asian Games medal table, Medal table
The ranking in this table is consistent with International Olympic Committee convention in its published medal tables. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals the athletes from a nation have won (in this context, a nation is an entity represented by a National Olympic Committee). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given; they are listed alphabetically by IOC country code.


1974 Asian Games medal table, Medal table
A total of 609 medals (202 gold, 199 silver and 208 bronze) were awarded. The total number of bronze medals is greater than the total number of gold or silver medals because two bronze medals were awarded per event in boxing (except men's light heavyweight and heavyweight categories). In +100 kg category of freestyle wrestling, a tie for the first position in between the wrestlers of Iran and Japan meant that no silver medal was awarded. In gymnastics, a tie for second place in the parallel bars event resulted in two silver medals and thus no bronze was awarded, similarly a tie for first place in the uneven bars event meant that no silver medal was awarded.


1974 Asian Games medal table, Changes in medal standings
On September 10, 1974, Oscar State, secretary general of the International Weightlifting Federation, announced that two weightlifters—North Korean Kim Joong-iI (heavyweight) and Japanese Masushi Ouchi (middle heavyweight)—had tested positive for a banned substance (stimulant) and were stripped of their medals. Kim had won three gold medals (snatch, clean & jerk and total) in the heavyweight category, while Masashi had won two gold (snatch and total) and one silver (clean & jerk) in the middle heavyweight.


1974 Asian Games medal table, Changes in medal standings
Kim usually competed in the middle heavyweight category, but due to being marginally overweight, he was forced to compete in heavyweight; after his disqualification, all three gold medals of the heavyweight category went to Houshang Kargarnejad of Iran. Snatch's gold and silver of clean & jerk of Masashi went to China's Qian Yukai and gold of total to Ali Vali of Iran.


1974 Asian Judo Championships
The 1974 Asian Judo Championships were held in Seoul, South Korea November.


1974 Asian Men's Softball Championship
The 1974 Asian Men's Softball Championship was an international softball tournament which was held in Manila, Philippines.


1974 Asian Table Tennis Championships
The 2nd Asian Table Tennis Championships 1974 were held in Yokohama, Japan from 2 to 15 April 1974. It was organised by the Japan Table Tennis Association under the authority of Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).


1974 Asian Taekwondo Championships
The 1974 Asian Taekwondo Championships were the 1st edition of the Asian Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Seoul, South Korea from 18 to 20 October, 1974.


1974 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
The 1974 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 23, 1974 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was the sixteenth edition of the Bluebonnet Bowl. The game matched the Houston Cougars against the NC State Wolfpack. It was the final contest of the 1974 NCAA Division I football season for both teams. The game ended in a 31–31 tie.


1974 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Teams
The game matched the Houston Cougars against the NC State Wolfpack of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The game was the first bowl game featuring the Cougars and the Wolfpack, and was their third overall meeting. The two teams had met twice before, with each team winning one against the other, and the teams' previous meeting was in 1969, when the Cougars defeated the Wolfpack 34–13.


1974 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Teams, NC State Wolfpack
The NC State Wolfpack of the ACC entered the game ranked 13 in the AP Poll. During the regular season, they had compiled a 9–2 record, including a 4–2 record against conference opponents; they placed second in their conference standings. The game represented the Wolfpack's first appearance in the Bluebonnet Bowl.


1974 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Teams, Houston Cougars
The conference-independent Cougars entered the game unranked in the AP Poll. Their regular-season record was 8–3. The game represented the Cougars' fourth appearance in the Bluebonnet Bowl; their previous appearance was in the 1973 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, in which they defeated the Tulane Green Wave 47–7.


1974 Atlanta Braves season
The 1974 Atlanta Braves season was the ninth season in Atlanta along with the 104th season as a franchise overall. The team finished third in the National League West with a record of 88–74, 14 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. During the season, Braves outfielder Hank Aaron became the all-time career leader in home runs, surpassing Babe Ruth. Ralph Garr was the league's batting champion with a .353 average. Pitcher Buzz Capra captured the ERA title (2.28) and Phil Niekro tied for the league lead in wins with 20.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Offseason, Waiting for a new home run king
At the end of the 1973 season, Aaron had finished one home run short of the record. He hit home run number 713 on September 29, 1973, and with one day remaining in the season, many expected him to tie the record. But in his final game that year, playing against the Houston Astros (led by manager Leo Durocher, who had once roomed with Babe Ruth), he was unable to hit one out of the park.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Offseason, Waiting for a new home run king
Over the winter, Aaron received many death threats and a large assortment of hate mail. Many did not want to see a black man break Ruth's nearly sacrosanct home run record. Lewis Grizzard, then editor of the Atlanta Journal, prepared for the massive coverage of the home run record. Secretly though, he quietly had an obituary written, scared that Aaron might be murdered.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Offseason, Waiting for a new home run king
Sports Illustrated pointedly summarized the racist vitriol that Aaron was forced to endure:


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Offseason, Waiting for a new home run king
"Is this to be the year in which Aaron, at the age of thirty-nine, takes a moon walk above one of the most hallowed individual records in American sport...? Or will it be remembered as the season in which Aaron, the most dignified of athletes, was besieged with hate mail and trapped by the cobwebs and goblins that lurk in baseball's attic?"


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Offseason, Waiting for a new home run king
Babe Ruth's widow, Claire Hodgson, even denounced the racism and declared that her husband would have enthusiastically cheered Aaron's attempt at the record.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Hank Aaron's 715th
As the 1974 season began, the Braves opened the season on the road with a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Braves management wanted him to break the record in Atlanta, so the plan was to have Aaron sit for said games against the Reds. Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ruled that he had to play two games in the first series. He played two out of three, tying Babe Ruth's record in his very first at bat off Reds pitcher Jack Billingham, but failed to hit another home run in the series.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Hank Aaron's 715th
The team returned to Atlanta for a series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. On April 8, 1974, a crowd of 53,775 people showed up for the game — a Braves attendance record. Sammy Davis, Jr. was in attendance, and Pearl Bailey, sang the national anthem in Broadway soul. Atlanta's black mayor, Maynard Jackson, and Governor Jimmy Carter attended the game.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Hank Aaron's 715th
Dodgers pitcher Al Downing had walked Aaron leading off the second inning to the accompaniment of continuous booing by the fans. Aaron then scored on a Dodger error, and the run broke Willie Mays' all-time National League record for runs scored with 2,063. In the 4th inning, Aaron hit career home run number 715 off Downing. Although Dodgers outfielder Bill Buckner nearly went over the outfield wall trying to catch it, the ball landed in the Braves bullpen, where relief pitcher Tom House caught it. Two white college students sprinted onto the field and jogged alongside Aaron as he circled the base paths. As the fans cheered wildly, Aaron's mother ran onto the field as well.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Managerial turnover
While the crowning of Aaron as baseball's all-time home run king made 1974 an exceptional season for the Braves, the strong performance of the team on the field also marked the campaign. The Braves' 88–74 (.543) record was an 111⁄2 game improvement over 1973, and resulted in a third-place finish in the NL West.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Managerial turnover
But a mid-season slump cost manager Eddie Mathews—for years Aaron's fellow-superstar with the Milwaukee Braves of the 1950s—his job on July 21 during the All-Star break with the club at 50–49 (and 14 games out of first place). Special assistant to the general manager Clyde King, 50, former skipper of the San Francisco Giants, assumed the managerial reins July 24.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Managerial turnover
King's hiring aroused some controversy when Aaron noted that he had been bypassed as a managerial candidate; he would have become baseball's first African-American manager had he been named to the post. He would have taken the Braves' job, Aaron said, "simply because there are no black managers in baseball." Braves' owner William Bartholomay responded by claiming he had had no inkling that Aaron was interested in managing in the Major Leagues.


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Managerial turnover
As events turned out, however, the Braves responded to King, winning 38 of their final 63 games (.603) and King was rehired for the 1975 season. Frank Robinson became MLB's first black manager when he was hired by the Cleveland Indians on October 3, 1974. Aaron was traded to the American League Milwaukee Brewers on November 2, 1974; he finished his active career in the Junior Circuit with two years as a designated hitter before returning to the Braves as a front-office executive. Meanwhile, Mathews finished his managerial career with a 149–161 (.481) record over all or parts of three seasons.


1974 Atlanta Braves 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


1974 Atlanta Braves 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


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses: ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1974 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1974 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1974 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's ninth year in the National Football League (NFL). After coming close to their maiden postseason appearance the previous season and finishing with a best-to-date 9–5 record despite an upset loss to the Cardinals, the Falcons traded star cornerback Ken Reaves to the archrival New Orleans Saints to obtain in-demand guard Royce Smith, a former Georgia Bulldogs All-American, in a widely criticized move (Reaves played only five games for New Orleans before he was cut; he signed with St. Louis, where he remained through his retirement in 1978). During the strike-affected pre-season, they beat the Eagles 23 to 7 in a rain-soaked match, before losing to the Raiders, 28-16. Soon afterwards the Falcons lost key offensive tackle Bill Sandeman for the entire season with a slipped disc in his back.


1974 Atlanta Falcons season
Along with a form lapse from quarterback Bob Lee and an injury to running back Dave Hampton, this destroyed the Falcons’ offense. The 1974 Falcons scored 111 points with a mere twelve touchdowns, the lowest total in franchise history, and the second lowest by any team in a fourteen-game NFL season after the infamous “Zero Gang” offense of the 1977 Buccaneers who were shut out six times in fourteen games. Their failure to score more than seventeen points in any game has been equalled since only by the infamous offense of the 1992 Seahawks.


1974 Atlanta Falcons season
The Falcons sacked long-serving head coach Norman van Brocklin after being thrashed by the Miami Dolphins and having heard demands from fans to make that move. Three of his successors have suffered the same humiliation in the middle of a season: Marion Campbell (1976 and 1989), Dan Reeves (2003) and Dan Quinn (2020), and Bobby Petrino quit with three games remaining in 2007.


1974 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1974 Falcons suffered through the humiliation of being the first Falcons team to be swept by the Saints since the teams became division rivals with the AFL-NFL merger. The Saints entered the season 1–9 all-time vs. the Falcons, with that win coming in the teams' first meeting in 1967. New Orleans did not sweep Atlanta again until 1983.


1974 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament
The 1974 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament was held in Raleigh, North Carolina from April 25th through April 28th. NC State won the tournament and earned the Atlantic Coast Conference's automatic bid to the 1974 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1974 Atlantic hurricane season featured Hurricane Fifi, the deadliest Atlantic tropical cyclone since the 1900 Galveston hurricane. The season officially began on June 1 and lasted until November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The first system, a tropical depression, developed over the Bay of Campeche on June 22 and dissipated by June 26. The season had near average activity, with eleven total storms forming, of which four became hurricanes. Two of those four became major hurricanes, which are Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season
The most intense storm of the season was Hurricane Carmen, which struck the Yucatán Peninsula at Category 4 intensity and Louisiana at Category 3 intensity. Carmen caused about $162 million in damage, mostly in Louisiana, and 12 deaths. Also highly notable was Hurricane Fifi, which dropped torrential rain in Central America, especially Honduras. The hurricane left more than $1.8 billion in damage and at least 8,210 fatalities. Hurricane Fifi crossed over into the eastern Pacific and was renamed Orlene. In August, poor weather conditions produced by Tropical Storm Alma caused a plane crash in Venezuela, which killed 49 people. Alma caused two additional deaths in Trinidad. Collectively, the tropical cyclones of this year resulted in at least 8,277 deaths and just under $2 billion in damage.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
The hurricane season officially began on June 1, with the first tropical cyclone developing on June 22. A total of 20 tropical and subtropical cyclones formed, but just 11 of them intensified into nameable storm systems. This was about average compared to the 1950–2000 average of 9.6 named storms. Four of these reached hurricane status, below the 1950–2000 average of 5.9. Furthermore, two storms reached major hurricane status; near the 1950–2000 average of 2.3. Collectively, the cyclones of this season caused at least 8,277 deaths and just under $2 billion in damage. The Atlantic hurricane season officially ended on November 30, with the final cyclone dissipating on November 12.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
Similar to the previous two seasons, much of the tropics were dominated by extensive upper-level westerlies and colder than normal sea surface temperatures, producing unfavorable conditions, though to a lesser extent than in 1972 and 1973. Wind shear generated by the westerlies covered a smaller area, while sea surface temperatures in the tropics were generally above the threshold for tropical cyclogenesis. All named storms developed in regions with ocean temperatures exceeding 80 °F (27 °C).


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
Tropical cyclogenesis began in June, with a tropical depression developing over the Bay of Campeche on June 22, followed by Subtropical Storm One over the Gulf of Mexico two days later. Three cyclones formed in July – two tropical depressions and a subtropical storm. August featured five systems, including Alma, Becky, Carmen, a subtropical storm, and a tropical depression. September was the most active month, with Dolly, Elaine, Hurricane Fifi, Gertrude, and three tropical depressions forming. Subtropical Storm Four and a tropical depression developed in October. The season's final system, a tropical depression, formed on November 10 and dissipated by November 12.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
The season's activity was reflected with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 61. ACE is a metric used to express the energy used by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. Therefore, a storm with a longer duration will have high values of ACE. It is only calculated at six-hour increments in which specific tropical and subtropical systems are either at or above sustained wind speeds of 39 mph (63 km/h), which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression One
A low-pressure formed over the Bay of Campeche near Veracruz by June 1. Although a reconnaissance aircraft flight failed to locate a closed circulation early on June 22, surface observations in Mexico showed evidence of a circulation later that day. A tropical depression was estimated to have formed at 12:00 UTC on June 22 while situated just offshore Montepío, Veracruz. Initially, the depression moved northeastward and appeared well-organized. However, by the following day, convection associated with the depression began weakening after an upper low pressure trough intensified over the eastern United States. Convection flared over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but a second circulation had developed by June 24, with that system becoming Subtropical Storm One.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression One
The depression, now moving slowly northeastward, redeveloped well-organized convection by June 25. However, shortly thereafter, the depression began to lose tropical characteristics due to interaction with atmospheric trough of low pressure. By June 26, the depression completed its extratropical transition over the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The remnants of the depression accelerated to the northeast and moved across Florida, before moving along the East Coast of the United States and then dissipating over New England by June 30. The remnants of the depression brought mostly light rainfall to East Coast states, with a peak total of 7.2 in (180 mm) in Avon Park, Florida.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm One
Tropical Depression One formed over the Bay of Campeche on June 22. As shower and thunderstorm activity associated with the depression diminished, convection flared over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on June 24, while a reconnaissance aircraft flight revealed that a closed circulation had developed over the south-central Gulf of Mexico. Therefore, it is estimated that a subtropical depression formed around 18:00 UTC on June 24. Early the following day, the subtropical depression intensified into a subtropical storm.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm One
Accelerating northeastward, the subtropical storm strengthened slightly further before making landfall near Clearwater, Florida, just after 06:00 UTC with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Although centered over Florida, the system intensified further, peaking with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) around 12:00 UTC on June 25. After exiting Florida, the cyclone quickly began extratropical later that day, with the remnants dissipating offshore North Carolina on June 27.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm One
Portions of Florida experienced heavy precipitation, particularly the Tampa Bay Area. A peak rainfall total of 11.38 in (289 mm) was observed at the St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport. The storm brought flooding and erosion to parts of west Central Florida. Overall, approximately $24.8 million in damage occurred in Florida, with roughly half of that total incurred to beaches, bridges, drainage systems, roads, sewers, and utilities. Three deaths were reported in the state, all due to drowning.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm Two
A convective area of cloudiness existed northeast of the Bahamas in mid July in response to a stationary frontal boundary. On July 15, satellite imagery suggested the presence of a weak circulation within the system. Around 00:00 UTC on the following day, a subtropical depression formed about 210 mi (340 km) northeast of the Bahamas. Moving northeastward, the cyclone slowly strengthened, becoming a subtropical storm at about 12:00 UTC on July 17. Late on the next day, the ship Export Adventurer observed winds of 54 mph (87 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 1,006 mbar (29.7 inHg).


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm Two
Based on these observations, the storm peaked with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) on July 18. By the next day, the cyclone began weakening. Around 00:00 UTC on July 20, the subtropical storm was absorbed a large extratropical low, which dissipated well east of Newfoundland several hours later.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm Three
A frontal wave formed along a stationary front which ended from near Cape Hatteras northeastward. At 12:00 UTC on August 10, a subtropical storm developed between Bermuda and New England. The storm moved southeastward and then northeastward, before turning northward early on August 12. Drifting northward, the cyclone continued to intensify. Around 12:00 UTC on August 14, the system peaked with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 992 mbar (29.3 inHg), based on ship observations. Later that day, the cyclone curved east-northeastward and accelerated, while its circulation became increasingly ill-defined, resembling that of a front, near Sable Island at about 00:00 UTC on August 15. The remnants of the storm were last noted passing over Cape Race several hours later.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Alma
A vigorous tropical wave emerged off the western coast of Africa on August 9, developing into a tropical depression by 12:00 UTC on August 12 while located about 545 mi (875 km) east-southeast of Barbados. Steered rapidly west by an abnormally strong subtropical ridge, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Alma by noon UTC the next day. Six hours later, Alma attained peak winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) in accordance with data from a reconnaissance aircraft. Early on August 14, Alma made landfall in Trinidad as a minimal tropical storm, becoming the southernmost-landfalling system on the island in 41 years. The system's circulation entered Venezuela and interacted with mountainous terrain, where it dissipated by 12:00 UTC on August 15.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Alma
The storm produced a wind gust as high as 91 mph (146 km/h) on Trinidad at Savonetta. Alma left heavy damage in Trinidad, amounting to approximately $5 million, making it the most destructive cyclone of the 20th century on the island at that time. The storm damaged about 5,000 buildings, leaving roughly 500 people homeless. Additionally, the cyclone ruined about 17,750 acres (7,180 ha) of crop fields. Two fatalities occurred in Trinidad, including one person who was struck by flying debris. Alma's heavy rainfall was responsible for a plane crash on Isla Margarita off the Venezuelan coast, killing the 49 people on board.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Five
Around 12:00 UTC on August 24, a tropical depression developed in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Moving northwestward, the depression organized further, peaking with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h). It was on the verge of attaining tropical storm status, but made landfall in Texas between Galveston and Freeport on August 26. The depression promptly dissipated.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Five
The depression produced heavy rainfall in Texas, especially in the central parts of the state, with a peak total of 10.75 in (273 mm) in Burnet. A weak cold front, combined with the depression, brought flooding portions of Texas, especially Bell County. In Killeen and Harker Heights, more than 100 people fled their homes, as well as about 50 people from a mobile home park in Nolanville. Flooding damaged 47 homes, 37 mobile homes, and a number of cars. Damage in Bell County was estimated at $100,000. A pickup truck was swept off a low-water crossing at Fort Hood, drowning one occupant of the vehicle. The depression and its remnants also produced rainfall in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Oklahoma.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Becky
The National Hurricane Center first began monitoring an area of shower and thunderstorm activity northeast of the Leeward Islands on August 20. After five days, a circulation became visible on satellite imagery. The disturbance tracked northwest, and both ships observations and satellite imagery indicated the formation of a tropical depression by 12:00 UTC on August 26; at the time, it was centered about 440 mi (710 km) south-southwest of Bermuda. Following designation, the depression curved north and then northeast as it rounded the western periphery of a ridge near the Azores. A light shear environment allowed it to intensify into Tropical Storm Becky by 06:00 UTC on August 28 and further into a hurricane by 18:00 UTC that day.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Becky
Around 12:00 UTC on August 29, Becky intensified into a Category 2 hurricane. Early on August 30, the system intensified into a Category 3, and by 12:00 UTC, the storm attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure 977 mbar (28.9 inHg), based on observations by a reconnaissance aircraft. Thereafter, Becky accelerated eastward and weaken weakening, falling to tropical storm intensity early on September 2. Later that day, the cyclone merged with a frontal zone northwest of the Azores. Although Becky never posed a threat to land, the storm crossed several major shipping routes.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Carmen
A tropical wave crossed the western coast of Africa on August 23, organizing into a tropical depression by 06:00 UTC on August 29 about 365 mi (585 km) east of Guadeloupe. The newly-designated cyclone was slow to intensify initially, with limited inflow and a majority of its circulation over the Greater Antilles. It strengthened into Tropical Storm Carmen early on August 30 and further into a hurricane by 12:00 UTC on August 31.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Carmen
Upon entering the western Caribbean Sea and amid a low wind shear environment, Carmen began a period of rapid intensification and attained peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h) before moving ashore just north of Chetumal, Quintana Roo. Carmen weakened significantly over the Yucatán Peninsula, falling to tropical storm intensity by 00:00 UTC on September 3.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Carmen
Carmen emerged into the Bay of Campeche late on September 3 and almost immediately executed a turn toward the north in response to falling pressures over the Southern United States. The cyclone steadily re-intensified over the Gulf of Mexico, and a reconnaissance aircraft into the storm around 00:00 UTC on September 8 found that maximum winds had again increased to 150 mph (240 km/h).


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Carmen
As Carmen approaching the coastline of Louisiana, radar indicated the presence of drier air entering the eastern semicircle of the circulation, and the cyclone moved ashore south of Morgan City with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). It turned northwest and then west-northwest after landfall and was last monitored as a tropical depression southeast of Waco, Texas, at 06:00 UTC on September 10.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Carmen
Carmen brought heavy rainfall and a tornado to Puerto Rico, causing about $2 million in damage. Flooding in Jamaica resulted in three people drowning. In Mexico, the storm left hundreds of people homeless in Chetumal and damaged the homes and assets of more than 5,000 people. Four deaths and about $10 million in damage occurred in Mexico. In Louisiana, the storm produced sustained winds up to 110 mph (180 km/h) near Amelia.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Carmen
Along the coast, tides ranged from 4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m) mean sea level, flooding homes with up to 4 ft (1.2 m) of water or sweeping away some of them into the swamp. Throughout the state, the hurricane inflicted minor damage to 1,015 homes, major damage to 722 homes, and complete destruction to 14 homes. Additionally, 697 mobile homes suffered major damage, while 41 other suffered destruction. However, much of the damage in the state was incurred to crops. Cotton, soybean, sugarcane, and rice crops collectively experienced about $116.8 million in damage. Overall, Carmen caused about $150 million in Louisiana and five deaths in the state. Freshwater and tidal flooding to a lesser degree occurred in the other Gulf Coast states.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Dolly
An area of shower and thunderstorm activity became concentrated underneath an upper-level low in the west Atlantic on August 30. The disturbance drifted west-northwest while steadily organizing, and a ship report around 18:00 UTC on September 2 indicated the formation of a tropical depression about 395 mi (635 km) south-southwest of Bermuda. Although the cyclone was embedded within a high wind shear environment, a reconnaissance mission into the storm the next afternoon found that it had intensified into Tropical Storm Dolly and attained its peak winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). The storm recurved northeast ahead of an approaching trough and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone by 12:00 UTC on September 5 offshore the coastline of Nova Scotia.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Elaine
A tropical wave moved off the western coast of Africa on August 30 and acquired sufficient organization to be declared a tropical depression by 18:00 UTC on September 4 roughly 715 mi (1,150 km) east of Guadeloupe. The newly-formed cyclone moved northwest for several days, maintaining its status as a tropical depression despite the absence of a closed low-level circulation in several reconnaissance missions.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Elaine
It eventually intensified into Tropical Storm Elaine east of North Carolina by 18:00 UTC on September 9, and with the aid of light upper-level winds, reached peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) early the next morning. Steered northeast by an approaching trough, Elaine interacted with a cold front and transitioned into an extratropical cyclone by 00:00 UTC on September 14 over the northern Atlantic.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Fifi
A west-northwestward-moving tropical wave developed into a tropical depression over the eastern Caribbean on September 14. Two days later, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Fifi just off the coast of Jamaica. The storm quickly intensified into a hurricane the following afternoon and attained its peak intensity on September 18 as a strong Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h). Maintaining hurricane intensity, Fifi brushed the northern coast of Honduras before making landfall in Belize with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) the following day.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Fifi
The storm quickly weakened after landfall, becoming a depression late on September 20. Continuing westward, the former hurricane began to interact with another system in the eastern Pacific. Early on September 22, Fifi re-attained tropical storm status before fully regenerating into a new tropical cyclone, Tropical Storm Orlene. The storm traveled in an arcuate path offshore Mexico and intensified into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall in Sinaloa on September 24 and then quickly dissipating.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Fifi
Fifi brought heavy rainfall to some of the Greater Antilles, especially Jamaica, which recorded precipitation totals exceeding 8 in (200 mm). Parts of the capital city of Kingston were inundated with about 2 ft (0.61 m). The storm caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage in Jamaica. While moving westward along the north coast of Honduras, Fifi lashed the country with strong winds and torrential, unrelenting rainfall. Many coastal cities were more than 80% destroyed, while at least 150,000 people were left homeless. The storm also completely destroyed the country's banana crops.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Fifi
Fifi caused at least 8,000 deaths and nearly $1.8 billion in damage in Honduras. Other Central American countries were also affected, especially Guatemala. Torrential rainfall in Guatemala caused flooding which washed away or destroyed numerous bridges, roads, and homes. At least 200 people were killed, making Fifi the deadliest in the country in nearly 20 years. In El Salvador, heavy rainfall from the outer bands of the storm led to flooding which killed 10 people.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Fifi
Flooding in Nicaragua left hundreds of people homeless in some villages including in Jinotega, while communities such as La Conquista, Dulce Nombre, San Gregorio, and San Vicente were left isolated after roads washed away. In Belize, winds and rainfall combined to damage or demolish hundreds of homes. The country's banana crop was completely destroyed.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gertrude
A disturbance developed within the Intertropical Convergence Zone just off the western coast of Africa on September 22. The system moved west-northwest and steadily coalesced, organizing into a tropical depression by 12:00 UTC on September 27 about 985 mi (1,585 km) east-southeast of Barbados. The storm was slow to develop at first, intensifying into Tropical Storm Gertude by 18:00 UTC on September 28.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Gertrude
However, a reconnaissance aircraft flight six hours later indicated Gertude had intensified into a hurricane and attained peak winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), although its winds were transient and the storm featured an abnormally high surface pressure. After temporarily stalling, Gertude resumed its west-northwest motion while steadily weakening under the influence of strong upper-level winds. It passed through the southern Leeward Islands on October 2 and dissipated over the eastern Caribbean by 00:00 UTC on October 4.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm Four
A low-pressure area developed near just north of eastern Cuba along the axis of a quasi-stationary cold front. The low became a subtropical depression on October 4. Shortly before striking Andros Island on October 6, the system strengthened into a subtropical storm. The storm made its closest approach to Florida early on October 7. Peaking with sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h), the system veered northward and then northeastward, but nonetheless caused heavy rainfall and coastal flooding on land in Florida. While paralleling offshore North Carolina and South Carolina, the storm began to slowly weaken. By late on October 8, the subtropical cyclone merged with a cold front while well east of Cape Hatteras. The extratropical remnants persisted for several more hours, before dissipating on October 9.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm Four
Gale force winds were observed by ships and land stations in the Bahamas. The storm and a stationary high pressure system over the Eastern United States resulted in strong winds and rough seas along the coast of Florida for several days, especially on October 6. Many coastal areas observed sustained winds of 25 to 40 mph (40 to 64 km/h), with higher gusts. The storm also produced isolated pockets of heavy rainfall, including 14 in (360 mm) of precipitation in Boca Raton. Dozens of homes were flooded in Boca Raton and Pompano Beach.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Subtropical Storm Four
The heavy rainfall destroyed about 50% of winter vegetable crops in Broward County and about 25% of the eggplant crop and about 5%-10% of other crops in Palm Beach County. The storm also brought rainfall and abnormally high tides to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Bermuda. Damage totaled at least $600,000.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
In addition to the other tropical depressions and the named storms, several more tropical cyclones developed, but failed to reach tropical storm status. The first such system developed just offshore the east coast of Africa on June 30. The depression moved westward for a few days, until dissipating on July 2. Another system formed over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on July 13. Tracking west-southwestward, the depression curved northward on July 16. Late the following day, it made landfall near Caplen, Texas, and promptly dissipated. Another cyclone, classified as Tropical Depression Nine, formed offshore Guinea on September 2.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
The depression was long-lasting and moved west-northwestward across the Atlantic for several days. Passing north of Puerto Rico on September 9, light to moderate rainfall totals were reported on the island and in the United States Virgin Islands, with a peak total of 5.38 in (137 mm) at a substation in Corozal, Puerto Rico. The depression dissipated near Inagua island in the Bahamas on September 1.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
A tropical depression formed over the western Atlantic on September 18. The depression remained weak and moved in a semi-circular path near Bermuda, before dissipating on September 20. The next tropical depression originated over the northwestern Caribbean on September 23. Moving northwestward, the storm grazed the northeastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula on the following day and then entered the Gulf of Mexico. By September 25, the depression turned to the northeast. It weakened and dissipated just offshore the west coast of Florida near Cedar Key on September 27.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
Another depression developed well northeast of the Lesser Antilles on October 30. Moving quickly north-northeastward, the depression remained weak and then dissipated well to the southwest of the Azores on November 2. The final minor depression, and last tropical cyclone, of the season formed north of Hispaniola on November 10. Moving slowly northward for a few days, the depression dissipated by November 12.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1974. Storms were named Carmen, Elaine and Gertrude for the first time in 1974. The names Carmen and Fifi were later retired. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.


1974 Atlantic hurricane season, Season effects
This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 1974 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s) – denoted by bold location names – damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses will be additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but are still related to that storm. Damage and deaths will include totals while the storm was extratropical or a wave or low, and all of the damage figures are in 1974 USD.


1974 Auburn Tigers football team
The 1974 Auburn Tigers football team under the leadership of head coach Ralph Jordan completed the regular season with a record of 9–2, earning them an invitation to the Gator Bowl against Texas, which they won by a score of 27–3. They completed the season with a record of 10–2 and were ranked #8 in the AP poll and #6 in the UPI.


1974 Auburn Tigers football team
Four players were named all-SEC first team for 1974: defensive end Rusty Deen, linebacker Ken Bernich, safety Mike Fuller, and center Lee Gross.


1974 Auckland City mayoral election
The 1974 Auckland City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1974, elections were held for the Mayor of Auckland plus other local government positions including twenty-one city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.


1974 Auckland City mayoral election, Background
Incumbent Mayor Dove-Myer Robinson was re-elected seeing off a challenge from Labour Party candidate Jim Anderton, who won a seat on the council despite losing the mayoralty. Grahame Sims, the retiring town clerk, ran for mayor and accused Robinson of being a Citizens & Ratepayers stooge. This followed the C&R deputy mayor Lindo Ferguson endorsing Robinson for the mayoralty. Sims called it "seat warming", insinuating Ferguson would run for mayor at the next election.


1974 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1974 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 racing cars with the championship winner awarded the 1974 CAMS "Gold Star".


1974 Australian Drivers' Championship, Calendar
The title was contested over a six-round series with Rounds 1, 2 & 3 each run over two heats and Rounds 4, 5 & 6 each staged as a single race.


1974 Australian Drivers' Championship, Calendar
Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the top six placegetters at each round. Only holders of a CAMS General Competition Licence were eligible, therefore any placings gained by international licence holders were ignored by CAMS when allocating championship points.


1974 Australian Formula 2 Championship
The 1974 Australian Formula 2 Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Australian Formula 2 racing cars. It was the eighth Australian Formula 2 Championship to be awarded by CAMS.


1974 Australian Formula 2 Championship, Calendar
The championship was contested over an eight round series with one race per round.


1974 Australian Formula 2 Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six eligible finishers at each round. Only holders of a General Competition License issued by CAMS were eligible for points and each driver could retain points only from his/her best seven round results.


1974 Australian Grand Prix
The 1974 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Oran Park Raceway in New South Wales, Australia on 17 November 1974. It was open to Racing Cars complying with Australian Formula 1 or Australian Formula 2. The race, which was the thirty-ninth Australian Grand Prix, was Round Five of the 1974 Australian Drivers' Championship.


1974 Australian Grand Prix
Australian driver Max Stewart won the race, ahead of John McCormack and Graeme Lawrence. It was Stewart's first Australian Grand Prix victory.


1974 Australian Indoor Championships
The 1974 Australian Indoor Championships was a men's professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia. It was part of the 1974 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix circuit as a Group A category event. It was the second edition of the tournament and was held from 13 October through 20 October 1974. First-seeded John Newcombe won the singles title.


1974 Australian Indoor Championships, Finals, Doubles
Ross Case /  Geoff Masters defeated  John Newcombe /  Tony Roche 6–4, 6–4


1974 Australian Indoor Championships – Doubles
Rod Laver and John Newcombe were the defending champions but only Newcombe competed that year with Tony Roche. Newcombe and Roche lost in the final 6–4, 6–4 to Ross Case and Geoff Masters.


1974 Australian Indoor Championships – Singles
Rod Laver was the defending singles champion at the Australian Indoor Tennis Championships but did not compete that year. First-seeded John Newcombe won in the final 6–4, 6–3, 6–4 against Cliff Richey. Richey threatened to quit the match after being called for a foot fault but eventually played on when the linesman was changed. The final was the best of 5 sets while all other rounds were the best of 3 sets.


1974 Australian Manufacturers' Championship
The 1974 Australian Manufacturers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian national motor racing title open to Group C Touring Cars. The championship, which was the fourth Australian Manufacturers' Championship, was won by General Motors-Holden's.


1974 Australian Manufacturers' Championship, Calendar
The championship was contested over a five round series with each round being a single race staged over a minimum distance of 250 km.


1974 Australian Manufacturers' Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for the first nine positions in each class plus 4-3-2-1 for the first four positions outright at all rounds except the Bathurst round. For the Bathurst round only, championship points were awarded on an 18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 basis for the first nine positions in each class plus 4-3-2-1 for the first four positions outright. Only the best placed car from each manufacturer was eligible to score points.


1974 Australian Open
The 1974 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts at the Kooyong Stadium in Melbourne in Australia and was held from 26 December 1973 to 1 January 1974. It was the 62nd edition of the Australian Open and the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.


1974 Australian Open, Seniors, Men's doubles
Ross Case /  Geoff Masters defeated  Syd Ball /  Bob Giltinan, 3–6, 7–6, 6–2


1974 Australian Open, Seniors, Women's doubles
Evonne Goolagong /  Peggy Michel defeated  Kerry Harris /  Kerry Melville, 7–5, 6–3


1974 Australian Open – Men's Singles
Second-seeded Jimmy Connors defeated Phil Dent 7–6(9–7), 6–4, 4–6, 6–3 in the final to win the Men's Singles tennis title at the 1974 Australian Open.


1974 Australian Open – Men's Singles
John Newcombe was the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals to Ross Case.


1974 Australian Open – Men's Singles
For the first time in the history of Open Era, none of the semifinalists had previously won a Grand Slam title.


1974 Australian Open – Men's Singles
Björn Borg competed in this Australian Open for the first and only time in his career. He lost to Dent in the third round. The format was the same as the previous year with the first round best of 3 sets and the rest of the tournament best of 5 sets.


1974 Australian Open – Men's Singles, Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. Jimmy Connors is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1974 Australian Open – Women's Singles
Second-seeded Evonne Goolagong defeated Chris Evert 7–6, 4–6, 6–0 in the final to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 1974 Australian Open.


1974 Australian Open – Women's Singles, Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. Evonne Goolagong is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1974 Australian Rally Championship
The 1974 Australian Rally Championship was a series of seven rallying events held across Australia. It was the seventh season in the history of the competition.


1974 Australian Rally Championship
Colin Bond and navigator George Shepheard in the Holden Dealer Team Holden Torana GTR XU-1 were the winners of the 1974 Championship.


1974 Australian Rally Championship, Season review
The seventh Australian Rally Championship was expanded to seven events now venturing to the West with the first ever round to be staged in Western Australia. This season consisted of two events in Victoria and one each in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. 1974 was to be the last year of domination from the Holden Torana GTR XU-1's. Bond and Shepheard had four wins and a second to win the championship, but had increasing opposition from the Datsun 240Z's of Stewart McLeod/Adrian Mortimer and Ross Dunkerton/John Large.


1974 Australian Rally Championship, The Rallies
The seven events of the 1974 season were as follows.


1974 Australian Sports Car Championship
The 1974 Australian Sports Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian motor racing title open to Group A Sports Cars and Group D Production Sports Cars. The title, which was the sixth Australian Sports Car Championship, was won by Henry Michell driving an Elfin 360 Repco.


1974 Australian Sports Car Championship, Calendar
The championship was contested over a four-round series with one race per round.


1974 Australian Sports Car Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis to the first six place-getters in each class. Additional points were awarded on a 4-3-2-1 basis to the first four place-getters outright, irrespective of class.


1974 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 15th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains on 4 March 1974 and ended at Adelaide International Raceway on 9 June after eight rounds. The championship was won by Peter Brock, driving for the Marlboro Holden Dealer Team in a Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 and a Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000.


1974 Australian Touring Car Championship, Drivers
The following drivers competed in the 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship.


1974 Australian Touring Car Championship, Calendar
The 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship consisted of seven rounds.


1974 Australian Touring Car Championship, Drivers Championship
Points were awarded 4-3-2-1 for the first four race positions, and then 9-6-4-3-2-1 for the top 6 of each class.


1974 Australian federal election
The 1974 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 18 May 1974. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives and all 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, due to a double dissolution. The incumbent Labor Party led by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam defeated the opposition Liberal–Country coalition led by Billy Snedden. This marked the first time that a  Labor leader won two consecutive elections.


1974 Australian federal election
Prior to the election the voting age had been reduced from 21 to 18 years. The election was held in conjunction with four referendum questions, none of which were carried.


1974 Australian federal election
Future Prime Minister John Howard entered parliament at this election. Snedden became the first Liberal Leader not to serve as prime minister.


1974 Australian federal election, Background and issues
Gough Whitlam had been an active prime minister since his party's victory in the 1972 election, and his government had pursued many socially progressive reforms and policies over its first term. However, it suffered through the 1973 oil crisis and the 1973–75 recession and received a hostile reception from the coalition/DLP-controlled Senate, with the last Senate election held in 1970.


1974 Australian federal election, Background and issues
Following an attempt by Whitlam to create an extra Senate vacancy in Queensland by appointing former Democratic Labor Party (DLP) Leader, Senator Vince Gair, as Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Snedden announced that the opposition would block the Government's supply bills in the Senate. After a great deal of legalistic argumentation in both houses about the Gair Affair, and justified by the failure of six (non-supply) bills to pass the Senate, Whitlam requested and was granted by Governor-General Sir Paul Hasluck a double dissolution under section 57 of the Constitution. The already-announced election date of 18 May was kept. The election focused on Whitlam's first one-and-a-half years in office and whether the Australian public was willing to continue with his reform agenda.


1974 Australian federal election, Aftermath, Election result
The Whitlam Government had been re-elected with their majority in the House of Representatives reduced from 9 to 5 seats, while they gained 5 seats in the Senate. The ALP and the coalition each won 29 seats in the 60 member Senate, with the balance of power held by Steele Hall of the Liberal Movement, and Michael Townley, a conservative independent. The Democratic Labor Party, which had been rendered obsolete by the election of the Whitlam government in 1972, lost all five of its Senate seats.


1974 Australian federal election, Aftermath, Election result
Al Grassby who served as Minister for Immigration in the Labor Whitlam Government lost his seat. Grassby's actions as immigration minister attracted criticism from anti-immigration groups, led by the Immigration Control Association, which targeted his electorate in a campaign at the May 1974 election. Partly as a result, Grassby was defeated by the National Party candidate, John Sullivan, by just 792 votes. Grassby and his supporters accused these groups of mounting a smear campaign against him.


1974 Australian federal election, Aftermath, Joint sitting
The re-elected Whitlam government's failure again to gain a majority in the Senate led to the 1974 joint sitting, Australia's only joint sitting, pursuant to section 57 of the Constitution. It was approved by the new governor-general Sir John Kerr after the bills were presented to the new parliament and were rejected a third time. It was held three months after the election, on 6–7 August, and it enabled the six bills that had been thrice rejected by the Senate to be passed.


1974 Australian federal election, Aftermath, Joint sitting
The Health Insurance bills were both passed on party lines, 95–92, the Petroleum and Minerals Authority legislation also passed on party lines, though with one Liberal Party member absent. Liberal Movement Senator Steele Hall supported the three Electoral bills, citing his experience as Liberal Premier of South Australia, where he had fought his own party in an effort to improve unequal electoral arrangements dubbed the Playmander. Northern Territory Country Party MP Sam Calder supported the Territory Senators legislation, though he opposed the ACT being given added representation.


1974 Australian federal election, Aftermath, Subsequent changes
In February 1975, the independent senator Michael Townley joined the Liberal party. This gave the Coalition 30 out of 60 Senators, with 29 Labor and 1 Liberal Movement (Steele Hall).


1974 Australian federal election, Aftermath, Subsequent changes
Later in 1975, two Coalition premiers would break longstanding convention in the replacement of two ALP senators. Lionel Murphy, who had resigned to take up an appointment to the High Court, was replaced by independent Cleaver Bunton; and Bertie Milliner, who had died, was replaced by Albert Field, an ALP member who was opposed to Whitlam. Bunton (along with Hall) refused to vote against supply, but Field was prepared to. Field took his seat in the Senate as an Independent on 9 September.


1974 Australian federal election, Aftermath, Subsequent changes
Due to a High Court challenge to his appointment, he was on leave from the Senate, unable to exercise a vote, from 1 October 1975, which reduced the number of sitting senators to 59. This gave the Coalition an effective majority, holding 30 of the 59, allowing them to block supply in the Senate to pave the way for the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.


1974 Australian referendum
The 1974 Australian Referendum was held on 18 May 1974. It contained four referendum questions.


1974 Australian referendum
The referendum was held in conjunction with the 1974 federal election.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections)
The 1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections) was a referendum that sought to make population instead of electors, as at present, the basis of determining the average size of electorates in each State. It required that the State Legislative Assemblies and Federal House of Representatives use demographical population size to ensure democratic elections. This was intended to replace alternative methods of distributing seats, such as  geographical size, with instead the population of states and territories.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections)
The 1974 Referendum (Democratic Elections) was held as part of the 1974 Australian Referendum on 18 May 1974 that came with four referendum questions, none of which were carried. Australian voters rejected 4 proposals related to simultaneous elections in the House and Senate, allowing electors in territories to vote at referendums, determining the average size of electorates in each state, and giving the Australian Parliament powers to borrow money for any local government body.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Background
The referendum was held in conjunction to the 1974 Federal Election on 18 May 1974. After the rejection of 6 Bills by the Opposition-controlled Senate, a double dissolution election was called from the 1974 Federal Election. the incumbent Labor Party led by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam defeated the opposition Liberal-Country coalition led by Billy Snedden. While this was the case, the Liberal-Country Party Opposition retained control of the Senate.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Background
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam had been an active prime minister since his party's victory in the 1972 election, and his government enforced several socially progressive reforms and policies over its first term. However, Whitlam's government suffered through the 1973 oil crisis and the 1973-75 recession and received a hostile reception from the Coalition, with the last Senate election held in 1970.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Background
Leaders like Steele Hall of the Liberal Movement, and Michael Townley, a conservative independent, existed in a balance of power with Whitlam's government, the Australian labor Party. The Democratic Labor Party, which has been obsolete by the election of the Whitlam government in 1972, lost all five of its Senate seats. As a result, Liberal independents retained importance in the Senate compared to Democratic independents, with Al Grassby, who served as Minister for Immigration in the Labor Whitlam Government, losing his seat due to criticism from anti-immigration groups. Led by the Immigration Control Association, Whitlam's election campaign was targeted due to views of it being overtly socially reformist. These issues resulted in allegations of a smear campaign against Al Grassby and the Whitlam Government.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Background
The 1974 Australian Referendum ultimately was an attempt to enable Australia's senate to be better representative of the people within  states and territories as well as include the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory to vote in referendums. It represented goals by the Labor leadership to strengthen the representative democratic foundations of Australia's political system by ensuring Australian people are accounted for in government decisions. The referendum can also be considered as one of their efforts towards social reform.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Referendums
In Australia, a referendum is held to approve a change to the Australian Constitution. Section 128 of the Constitution outlines certain rules that must be followed in order for a change to be approved. A proposed change to the Constitution begins as a bill, or proposed law, presented to the Australian Parliament. If the bill is passed by the Parliament, the proposal is presented to Australian voters in a referendum, which is required to take place between 2 and 6 months.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Referendums
Before referendums are held, members of parliament prepare arguments in support or opposition to the proposed change and are sent to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which is in charge of running federal elections and referendums. The AEC arranges for the 'Yes' and 'No' cases, along with a statement of the proposed change, to be posted to every Australian on the electoral roll. On polling day, the voting process, similar to that of federal elections, is set up around schools or other public buildings around the country. A referendum is only passed if it is approved by a majority of voters across the nation and a majority of voters in a majority of states—this is known as a double majority. If a referendum is successful, the change is made to the Constitution.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Successful referendums
Since the Federation, there have only been 44 proposals for Constitutional change with only 8 being carried and termed successful.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Successful referendums
One of the early successful referendums included the 1916 referendum on compulsory military service held on 28 October, containing one question about conscription. This referendum was held due to Prime Minister Billy Hughes desire to conscript young Australian men during World War I, authorised under the Military Service Referendum Act 1916.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Successful referendums
This referendum focused on the proposal to end the system of per capita payments which have been made by the Commonwealth to the States since 1910, and to restrict the right of each State to borrow for its own development by subjecting that borrowing to control by a loan council. It resulted in a 74.30% majority vote and was held on 17 November 1928.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Successful referendums
This referendum proposed to provide for retiring ages for judges of Federal courts. It resulted in a 80% majority vote and was held on 21 May 1977.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Successful referendums
This referendum proposed to ensure, as far as practicable, that a casual vacancy in the Senate is filled by a person of the same political party as the Senator chosen by the people, and that the person shall hold the seat for the balance of the term. It resulted in a 73.32% majority vote on 21 May 1977.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Successful referendums
The 1967 referendum was a landmark decision, enabling the Commonwealth to enact laws for Aboriginal people and remove the prohibition against counting Aboriginal people in population counts in the Commonwealth or a state. The 1967 referendum concerned Section 24 of the Constitution and Section 51 and 127. It carried the largest Yes vote with 90.77% of Australians agreeing to the Australian government including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in population counts.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Unsuccessful referendums
This referendum proposed to implement the agreement to allow the Commonwealth to make a fixed payment out of surplus revenue to the States according to population. This was to replace the arrangement where the Commonwealth returned three-quarters of net revenue to the States. It resulted in a 49.04% vote on 13 April 1910.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Unsuccessful referendums
This referendum proposed to extend the Commonwealth's powers over trade, commerce, the control of corporations, labour and employment, including wages and conditions; and the settling of disputes; and combinations and monopolies. It resulted in a 39.42% vote on 26 April 1911.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Unsuccessful referendums
This referendum proposed to give the Commonwealth power, for a period of five years, to legislate on 14 specific matters, including the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen, national health, family allowances and 'the people of the Aboriginal race.' It was held on 19 August 1944, with a 45.99% result.


1974 Australian referendum (Democratic Elections), Referendums in Australia, Past referendums, Unsuccessful referendums
This referendum proposed to give the Commonwealth powers to make laws in respect of communists and communism and was held on 22 September 1951 with a 49.44% voter turnout.