1975: The Year That Was

i97í The YearThatW as As English Studies in Canada celebrates 30 years of publishing history, we thought we’ d investigate what else happened back in 1975. Here’ s a look. World Population: 4,088,224,047 Canadian Incumbents: Queen: Elizabeth 1 1 Prime Minister: Pierre Trudeau Governor General: Jules Léger Premier of Alberta: Peter Lougheed Premier of British Colum bia: David Barrett, then W.R. Ben­ nett Premier of Manitoba: Edward Schreyer Premier of New Brunsw ick: Richard Hatfield Premier of New foundland: Frank Moores Premier of Nova Scotia: Gerald Regan Premier of Ontario: Bill Davis Premier of Prince Edward Island: Alexander B. Campbell Premier of Québec: Robert Bourassa Premier of Saskatchewan: Allan Blakeney U.S. Incumbents: President: Gerald Ford, the only president never to have been elected to either the Presidency or the Vice Presidency. Vice President: Nelson Rockefeller Secretary of State: Henry Kissinger Secretary of Defense: James Schlesinger, then Donald Rums­ feld Other Important 1975 Events: Izzy Asper acquires Winnipeg television station cknd, the beginning of what would become a nationa media empire. Rohinton Mistry immigrates to Canada. The cbc broadcasts the Juno Awards live for the first time. Home videotape systems (the “vcr”) is developed in Japan by Sony (Betamax) and Matsushita (vhs). The Altair 8800 is released in January, sparking the era of the micro­ computer. It ships as a mail-order kit for $397 and contains 1 kilobyte (ik) of memory. Over 2,000 units will be sold by year’s end. Bill Gates and Paul Allen license their version of the basic programming language to the parent company, mits (see July 22, November 29). January 1 International Women’ s Year begins. 1 Product labeling using the metric system is introduced in Can­ ada. 1 Ingmar Bergman’ s version of Mozart’ s The Magic Flute, entitled Trollflôjten, premieres on Swedish television. It will premiere on u.s. television on 11 November. 5 The Wiz opens on Broadway. 5 The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, is struck by the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra, killing twelve people. 6 Wheel O f Fortune, a television game show from the 1950s, re­ debuts on nbc-tv. 258 11975 in Retrospect 6 Led Zeppelin fans riot before Boston concert, causing $30,000 damage. 7 opec agrees to raise crude oil prices by 10%. 7 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to A. R. Ammons. 9 600 employees of the Royal Canadian Mint go on strike. 10 Japanese soldier Teruo Nakamura surrenders on the Indonesian Island of Morota. 12 The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 to win Super Bowl ix. 13 Pelly Bay in the Northwest Territories experiences -5i°c, but the windchill with 50-km winds makes it feel like -92°c. 14 17-year-old heiress Lesley Whittle is kidnapped from her home in Shropshire, England, by the Black Panther. 15 Space Mountain opens at Disneyland. 18 The Jeffersons, a spinoff series from All in the Family, premieres on cbs. 29 Martin Scorsese’ s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore premieres in New York City (it premiered in Los Angeles on December 9, 1974). 31 Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” goes gold. February 4 Queen Elizabeth 1 1visits Mexico. 4 The first successfully predicted earthquake occurs in Haicheng, Liaoning, China. 9 The Soyuz 17 Soviet spacecraft returns to Earth. 11 Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath for the leadership of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. 18 Sylvia Ostry is appointed Canada’s first female Deputy Minis­ ter. 21 John Mitchell, H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman are sentenced to 2-8 years for their participation in the Watergate cover-up. 23 In response to the energy crisis, Daylight Saving Time commences nearly two months early in the United States. 26 A fleeing ira terrorist shoots and kills off-duty London police officer, Stephen Tibble, 22, as he gives chase. 26 First televised kidney transplant (on The Today Show). 1975 in Retrospect | 259 284i people killed in the London Underground as a train speeds past its final stop at Moorgate Station. 28 Meeting in Lorn, the capital of Togo, the European Economic Community and 46 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries sign a financial...