The Year 1975 in Review: Fun Facts, Trivia, and Historic Highlights

This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historical events from the year 1975. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, computer history, entertainment trivia, and much more.

Take a journey through history in just minutes.

1. In 1975, Gerald Ford (R-Michigan) was the president of the United States, and Nelson Rockefeller (R-New York) was the nation’s vice president.
2. The 93rd Congress was in session, and there were 243 Democrats and 192 Republicans.
3. Average cost of a gallon of gas: 44 cents
4. Average cost of a new car: $4,250
5. Average cost of a new house: $39,300
6. Average household income: $14,100
7. Average monthly rent: $200
8. Average private college tuition: $3,776
9. Average public college tuition: $1,809
10. Inflation rate: 9.13%
11. Postage stamp: 13 cents
12. Property crime per 1,000 people: 48.1
13. Unemployment peaked at 9.0% in May.
14. Violent crime per 1,000 people: 53.0
15. American companies and brands launched during 1975 included Bisquitville, Book Soup, Chili’s, Earth Fare, Family Express, Kronos Foods, Microsoft, Mysterious Press, and Supercuts.
16. Consumer products introduced during the year included Betamax, Big Red gum, Country Time lemon-flavored drink mixes, Famous Amos chocolate cookies, Freshen Up chewing gum, Miller Lite, the Terrible Towel, and Warheads candy.
17. On January 1, the private ownership of gold was legalized in the United States. (Just so you know, on December 31, 1974, President Ford signed a bill “to permit United States citizens to purchase, hold, sell, or otherwise deal with gold in the United States or abroad.”)
18. On January 1, H. R. Haldeman, former President Nixon’s White House chief of staff, was convicted of Watergate crimes.
19. On January 2, the Department of the Interior designated grizzly bears as an endangered species.
20. On January 12, Chrysler Corporation offered the first car rebates. The New York Times reports that “In the first significant attempt to reduce prices to stimulate car sales since the automobile industry went into its deep decline, the Chrysler Corporation plans to announce a system of rebates . . . that will save buyers of certain new Chrysler cars from $200 to $400.”
21. On January 30, Hungarian sculptor Ernő Rubik applied for a patent for his "Magic Cube" invention, which later became known as a Rubik's Cube.
22. On February 11, the 1975 Conservative Party leadership election was held in Great Britain, and the Conservatives chose Margaret Thatcher as their new leader. Thatcher also emerged as the first woman to hold that role.
23. On February 21, Watergate players John Mitchell, H. R. Haldeman, and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2 1⁄2-8 years for conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
24. On February 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $21.3 billion anti-recession tax-cut bill.
25. On March 9, construction began on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), which would carry “billions of barrels of North Slope oil to the port of Valdez.” (Valdez is the USA’s “farthest north ice-free port with the best access to Alaska’s interior.”)
26. On April 4, Bill Gates and Paul Allen created Microsoft as a partnership to develop and sell computer software.
27. On April 8, at the 47th Academy Awards, which honored the best films of 1974, The Godfather Part II won an Oscar for Best Picture, and Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather Part II) won an Oscar for Best Director. Art Carney (Harry and Tonto) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Ellen Burstyn (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore) won an Oscar for Best Actress.
28. On May 7, President Ford announced that the Vietnam War was officially over.
29. On May 19, at the 27th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS) received an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Upstairs, Downstairs (PBS) received an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.
30. On July 22, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to restore citizenship to General Robert E. Lee.
31. On July 30, Jimmy Hoffa, who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), disappeared in suburban Detroit. (Hoffa was legally declared dead in 1982.)
32. On September 14, Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton became the first American-born Roman Catholic saint.
33. On September 29, WGPR, the first Black-owned television station in the U.S., began broadcasting in Detroit.
34. On October 21, the Coast Guard Academy allowed the first women to enroll.
35. On December 22, President Ford signed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) into law. The primary goals of the EPCA are to “increase energy production and supply, reduce energy demand, provide energy efficiency, and give the executive branch additional powers to respond to disruptions in energy supply.”
36. In 1975, Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Drew Barrymore, Tiger Woods, Rich Dollaz, Cheyenne Jackson, and Bradley Cooper were all born.
37. The morning news magazine, Good Morning America, debuted on ABC.
38. The soaps As the World Turns and The Edge of Night switched from live to pre-taped broadcasts.
39. Saturday Night Live, the late-night comedy and variety show, premiered on NBC with George Carlin as host. Currently in its 52nd season, Saturday Night Live is now streaming on Peacock—NBCUniversal’s video streaming service—in addition to its coast-to-coast live television broadcasts.
40. The musical, A Chorus Line, premiered at the Shubert Theater in New York City for 6,137 performances. In 1976, the show received nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Choreography. A Chorus Line also received a special Tony Award in 1984 for becoming Broadway’s longest-running musical.
41. Here are some sports facts from 1975: Foolish Pleasure was the winning horse in the Kentucky Derby, the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series, and the Philadelphia Flyers clinched the Stanley Cup. In addition, MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn was reelected to another seven-year term.
42. In 1975, the words “ATM,” “brick-and-mortar,” “CAT scan,” “debit card,” “domestic partner,” “download,” “downsize,” “light rail,” “mobile phone,” “sleep apnea,” “trucker hat,” and “variable rate mortgage” all appeared in print for the first time.
43. Apples (McIntosh): Three pounds for 59 cents
44. Bacon: $1.29 for a one-pound package
45. Bananas: 19 cents a pound
46. Beans (Campbell’s, baked): 24 cents for a one-pound can
47. Beef (ground chuck): 99 cents a pound
48. Beef (sirloin steak): $1.29 to $1.39 a pound
49. Cake mix (Betty Crocker): 55 cents for an 18.5-ounce box
50. Celery: 38 cents a stalk
51. Cheese (American): 99 cents a pound
52. Coffee (Chock Full O’Nuts): 99 cents for a one-pound can
53. Crackers (Nabisco premium saltines): 49 cents for a one-pound box
54. Cranberries: 29 cents a pound
55. Eggs: 59 cents a dozen
56. Grapefruit: 79 cents for a five-pound bag
57. Juice (Del Monte, pineapple-grapefruit): 45 cents for a 32-ounce can
58. Ketchup (Heinz): 59 cents for a 26-ounce bottle
59. Mayonnaise (Kraft): 69 cents for a quart jar
60. Milk: $1.57 per gallon
61. Onions: Eight cents a pound
62. Oranges (Florida): 79 cents for a five-pound bag
63. Potatoes: 99 cents for a 20-pound bag
64. Pot roast: 79 cents a pound
65. Soup (Campbells, assorted flavors): $1.00 for five 10.75-ounce cans
66. SPAM: 79 cents for a 12-ounce can
67. Strawberries: 29 cents a pound
68. Sugar: $2.49 for a five pound bag
69. Sweet corn: 10 ears for 79 cents
70. Turkey: 43 cents a pound

References:

1. https://popculturemadness.com/1975-history-trivia-and-fun-facts/
2. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1975
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_in_the_United_States
4. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1975
5. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-timeline-1971.html
6. https://tinybeans.com/70s-food-that-you-will-remember/slide/15/
7. https://www.lovefood.com/galleries/55532/foods-we-fell-in-love-with-in-the-1970s?page=1
8. https://www.the-numbers.com/market/1975/top-grossing-movies
9. https://www.ranker.com/list/companies-founded-in-1975/reference
10. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/died-1975.php
11. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1975

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor