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- The city of Saigon is surrendered and remaining Americans are evacuated, ending the Vietnam War (April 30).
- American merchant ship Mayaguez, seized by Cambodian forces, is rescued in operation by US Navy and Marines, 38 of whom are killed (May 15).
- Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft take off for US-Soviet link-up in space (July 15).
- John N. Mitchell, H. R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman found guilty of Watergate cover-up (Jan. 1); sentenced to 30 months to 8 years in jail (Feb. 21).
- President Ford escapes assassination attempt in Sacramento, Calif. (Sept. 5).
- President Ford escapes second assassination attempt in 17 days (Sept. 22).
US GDP (1998 dollars): $1,630.60 billion
Federal spending: $332.33 billion
Federal debt: $541.9 billion
Median Household Income
(current dollars): $11,800
Consumer Price Index: 53.8
Unemployment: 8.5%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.10 ($0.13 as of 12/31/75)
EVENTS:
- ABC, CBS and NBC agree to create a "family hour," an early evening time slot that is free of violence and sex.
- Saturday Night Live premieres on NBC. George Carlin hosts the first show.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest sweeps the top Oscars, winning Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Actress.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Jaws, Nashville, Dog Day Afternoon, Barry Lyndon
BOOKS:
- Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift
- E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime
- Galway Kinnell, The Avenue Bearing the Initial of Christ into the New World
- William Safire, Before the Fall
- Anne Sexton, The Awful Rowing Toward God
