Timeline December 1973

Events in December 1973 18

• 1886 – 1973 David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) Died 1 December 1973, aged 87 David Ben-Gurion, the founding prime minister of Israel and a principal author of its declaration of independence, died at his desert home in Sde Boker. He remains one of the central figures in the establishment of the modern Israeli state.
• 1892 – 1973 Robert Watson-Watt (1892-1973) Died 5 December 1973, aged 81 Scottish engineer Robert Watson-Watt, a pioneer of radar technology whose work was critical to Britain's air defense during the Second World War, died in Inverness, Scotland.
• 1970 – 1973 Final Years at United Became Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer with 249 goals, a record that stood until 2017. Made his final appearance for the club in 1973 after 758 games.
• 1973 1973: Jackie Stewart Tyrrell Stewart won his third and final title, retiring at the end of the season. His teammate François Cevert was killed in practice at the final race at Watkins Glen.
• 1973 American Debut with Pavarotti Made her American debut as Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, starring alongside Luciano Pavarotti.
• 1973 Conversion to Buddhism Embraced the practice of Nichiren Buddhism, becoming a devoted member of the Soka Gakkai International. Buddhism would profoundly influence his music and worldview for the rest of his life.
• 1973 Jolene Released Jolene, which became one of the most recognisable songs in popular music history. Written about a red-haired bank teller who flirted with Carl Dean, the song reached number one on the country charts and has been covered by artists across every genre.
• 1973 Return to Japan Returned to Japan in ill health, mentally and physically exhausted. The Japanese art world received her unsympathetically — one collector recalled thinking of her as a 'scandal queen'. She continued writing surrealistic novels and poetry but struggled with severe depression.
• 1973 Tres Hombres and La Grange Released Tres Hombres, featuring the song La Grange, inspired by a notorious brothel outside La Grange, Texas. The album went gold and established ZZ Top's national reputation.
• 1973 The Rocky Horror Show — Stage Premiere Originated the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the seductive alien transvestite scientist, in Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show at a tiny upstairs venue at London's Royal Court Theatre. Belting out Sweet Transvestite in platform heels, fishnets and a sparkly black corset, his daring performance was a sensation. The show transferred to larger London venues and then to Broadway.
• 1973 Nobel Peace Prize Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Lê Đức Thọ for negotiating the Paris Peace Accords to end US involvement in the Vietnam War. The award was one of the most controversial in Nobel history.
• 1973 Black Sabbath release Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Progressive turn With Rick Wakeman on keyboards.
• 1973 – present Jan Ullrich Der Kaiser The only German to win the Tour; the great rival of the late 90s/early 2000s.
• 1973 – present Monica Seles The Giggler Won 8 majors as a teenager before a tragic on-court stabbing halted her dominance.
• 1973 Paul McCartney and Wings release Band on the Run Recorded in Lagos Wings' best album, recorded in Nigeria.
• 1973 Assassination of Luis Carrero Blanco Basque separatist group ETA kills Spanish prime minister ETA militants detonated a bomb under a Madrid street, killing Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco, a close ally of dictator Francisco Franco who had been groomed as his successor. The assassination destabilized the final years of the Franco regime.
• 1973 The Exorcist released Horror film becomes a cultural phenomenon and box office record-setter William Friedkin's film The Exorcist premiered in the United States, becoming one of the highest-grossing and most controversial horror films ever made. Its depiction of demonic possession prompted fainting and walkouts among audiences.
• 1973 Endangered Species Act signed United States enacts landmark wildlife protection law President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act, creating a legal framework to protect threatened and endangered plants and animals in the United States. It became one of the most powerful environmental laws in the world.