January 1973

The following events occurred in January 1973:

January 1, 1973 (Monday) The United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark entered the 'European Economic Community (EEC, generally referred to as "the Common Market", a predecessor to the European Union. The addition of the new members brought the number of Common Market nations from six to nine."As Britain Joins Market, Public Is Apprehensive; As Britain Joins Market, Public Is Apprehensive Government Jubilant Over Entry Today But Many Fear Higher Prices and Changes in Way of Life", by Alvin Shuster, The New York Times, January 1, 1973, p. 1"Ceremony Marks Britain's Entry; Thousands Take Day Off to Celebrate Joining Market -Debate Still Goes On", The New York Times, January 2, 1973, p. 1 Exxon Corporation, the largest oil company in the world at the time, was created by the merger of Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and Humble Oil. The gasoline stations of the merged companies, operating under the names Esso, Enco and Humble, would all be rebranded as Exxon stations during the year 1973. In the 59th Rose Bowl college football game, the #1-ranked USC Trojans of the Pacific 8 conference defeated the #3-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten conference, 42–17."U.S.C. Trounces Ohio State, 42-17; Late Rout Led by Cunningham in Rose Bowl", The New York Times, January 2, 1973, p. 47 The #2-ranked team, the Oklahoma Sooners, had beaten the #5-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions the night before in the Sugar Bowl. The University of Southern California team, unbeaten and untied in 12 starts, would be voted #1 in both the Associated Press and United Press International polls, gaining recognition by the NCAA in the era before playoffs as the unofficial national champion of American college football. Hitachi SC and Yanmar Diesel SC, who had finished 1st and 2nd in regular play in the Japan Soccer League, met in the championship game of the 24-team playoff, the Emperor's Cup. Hitachi won, 2 to 1. A new constitution went into effect in the southern African nation of Zambia, declaring the republic to be a "one-party participatory democracy", with the lone political organization being the ruling United National Independence Party (UNIP) of President Kenneth Kaunda. Zambia continued as a one-party participatory democracy until becoming "a unitary, indivisible, multi-party and democratic sovereign state" when a new constitution would take effect in 1991. The west African nation of Nigeria, the last on earth to use the non-decimal "£sd" system of "pounds, shillings and pence", introduced a new currency, the naira (₦) to replace the Nigerian pound that had been used since independence, at the rate of £1 = ₦2. Under the new decimal system, one naira was worth 100 kobo."Nigeria Switches Currency", The New York Times, January 2, 1973, p. 46 The University of Passau was established in West Germany's state of Bavaria in the city of Passau on the German-Austrian border. Born: Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Colombian novelist, in Bogotá Jimi Mistry, English film and TV actor known for EastEnders and Coronation Street; in Scarborough, North Yorkshire Rabaki Jérémie Ouédraogo, Burkina Faso road cycling champion; in Kokologo, Republic of Upper Volta Died: Ilse Barea-Kulcsar, 70, Austrian journalist, novelist, translator, teacher, communist political activist, anti-fascist activist and resistance fighter who campaigned in Austria, volunteered in the Spanish Civil War and went into exile in Britain. Sergei Kourdakov, 21, a Soviet Russian KGB agent who had defected to Canada on September 3, 1971, was found dead in his motel room at the ski resort town of Running Springs, California, from a gunshot to the head."U.S. Journal: Southern California", by Calvin Trillin, The New Yorker (May 5, 1973) pp. 89–96"Soviet Defector, 21, Dies on Coast, Apparent Suicide", The New York Times, January 2, 1973, p. 11 Walter E. "Jack" Rollins, 66, American lyricist who wrote the words for more than 500 songs, and was best known for "Frosty the Snowman" (1950) and "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" (1949)"Walter E. Rollins, Lyricist, 66, Dead— Wrote 'Peter Cottontail' and 'Frosty the Snowman'", The New York Times, January 2, 1973, p. 42 Jeffrey Carp, 24, American blues harmonica artist, by drowning Tsuneo Mori, 28, Japanese terrorist and member of the Japanese Red Army until his arrest in 1972, by hanging in his jail cell in Tokyo."Japanese Radical Leader Hangs Himself in Jail Cell", The New York Times, January 2, 1973, p. 9

January 2, 1973 (Tuesday) The asteroid 11785 Migaic was discovered by N. S. Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. Rafael Hernández Colón began his first term as Governor of Puerto Rico. Born: Lucy Davis, English TV actress; in Solihull, West Midlands Died: Eleazar López Contreras, 89, President of Venezuela 1935–1941"Eleazar López Contreras, 89, Former President of Venezuela", The New York Times, January 3, 1973, p. 42 Nirmal Munda, 79, Indian agrarian leader and independence fighter known for leading the Munda agitation from 1937 to 1939 against extortion Speckled Red (stage name for Rufus Perryman), 80, African-American comedian, blues singer and musician known for his recordings of the improvised insult exchanges known as "The Dozens"

January 3, 1973 (Wednesday) The 93rd United States Congress opened with the swearing in of new U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators."Congress Opens; Democrats Plan Antiwar Action", The New York Times, January 4, 1973, p.1 The seats of Democratic Representatives Hale Boggs of Louisiana's 2nd district and Nick Begich of Alaska's At-Large district were declared "presumed dead" by House Resolution 1, nearly three months after the plane carrying both Congressmen was lost on October 16, 1972, over a remote region of Alaska. Although both Boggs and Begich won their re-elections while officially missing after the crash, the House resolution renders their seats vacant at the start of the 93rd Congress and orders special elections to fill both seats. Antonio Won Pat became the first delegate from the U.S. territory of Guam to have an office in the U.S. House of Representatives, appearing as the territory's non-voting delegate. Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst for the RAND Corporation who leaked top secret U.S. Department of Defense documents to multiple newspapers, went on trial for violations of the Espionage Act of 1917."Defense Sees Constitutional Test As Ellsberg-Russo Trial Starts", by Martin Arnold, The New York Times, January 4, 1973, p.1 The documents, published as the "Pentagon Papers", led to Ellsberg's indictment. Although initially barred from testifying in his own defense, Ellsberg would have the charges against him dismissed on May 11 because of prosecutorial misconduct including the wiretapping of his office and the burglary of his psychiatrist's office. CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System sold the New York Yankees baseball team for $10 million to a 12-person syndicate led by George Steinbrenner, with Robert Nederlander, E. Michael Burke, Lester Crown, John DeLorean, Nelson Bunker Hunt and Marvin L. Warner as junior partners."C.B.S. Sells the Yankees for $10-Million", by Joseph Durso, The New York Times, January 4, 1973, p. 1 The price was $3.2 million more than the price paid by CBS for the team in 1965. Ferdinand Marcos, the President of the Philippines, hosted a conference at the Malacañang Palace in Manila of 300 Muslim leaders from Mindanao in an effort to stopping the secessionist movement on that island."Marcos Moves to Appease Moslems", The New York Times, January 4, 1973, p. 1 The Golden Corral chain of steak restaurants opened its first of almost 500 locations in the United States, starting with a steakhouse in Fayetteville, North Carolina. U.S. Air Force General John C. Meyer, Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Air Command, was booed by airmen at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, where he had paid a visit days after directing Operation Linebacker II, the "Christmas Bombing" that took place from December 18 to December 29, 1972. Born: Dan Harmon, American TV producer known for Community and for Rick and Morty; in Milwaukee Died: Howard R. Davies, 77, British motorcycle racer and designer who founded HRD Motors Ltd Christopher Chenery, 86, American engineer, businessman and racehorse owner whose thoroughbred Secretariat would win the U.S. Triple Crown of Horse Racing later in the year"Christopher T. Chenery Is Dead; Meadow Stable Founder Was 86", by Joe Nichols, The New York Times, January 5, 1973, p. 34 Christine van Meeteren, 87, Dutch silent film actress

January 4, 1973 (Thursday) The 29th Canadian Parliament opened its session with the swearing in of 264 members of the Canadian House of Commons and 102 Senators. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau had only a 109 to 107 lead in Commons over the Progressive Conservative opposition, with other parties dividing the remaining 48 seats."Trudeau Pledges to Combat Unemployment and Inflation", by Jay Walz, The New York Times, January 5, 1973, p. 3 In Derry in Northern Ireland, a crowd of almost 300 children threw stones and bottles at six British Army soldiers who had come to a Roman Catholic neighborhood to investigate a complaint. Four soldiers were hurt before the patrol commander fired a rifle shot over the heads of the children."300 Children Attack 6 Soldiers in Londonderry", The New York Times, January 5, 1973, p. 3 Australia's new Minister for Immigration, Al Grassby, announced that the nation had officially ended what critics had called the "white Australia policy", eliminating the use of skin color as a factor in determining whether to admit immigrants, and specifically lifting the quota on nonwhites. The phasing out of the policy had started after World War II, when Australia admitted a few nonwhites as immigrants and then permitted them to become citizens after 15 years residence. In 1966, the residence requirement was reduced to five years."Australia Ends Racial Curb on Migration", by Robert Trumbull, The New York Times, January 5, 1973, p. 1 The pilot episode of the longest-running TV comedy series in the world, Last of the Summer Wine, was broadcast in the United Kingdom as an episode of BBC's Comedy Playhouse. Picked up as a series, Last of the Summer Wine would debut on November 12 and would continue to run for 295 episodes over 37 years, until August 29, 2010. An annular solar eclipse took place, visible mostly over Chile and Argentina. Born: Laia Marull, Spanish film actress; in Barcelona

January 5, 1973 (Friday)

Mandatory screening before boarding of all airline passengers went into effect in the United States"Airports Start Thorough Screening of All Passengers", by Robert Lindsey, The New York Times, January 6, 1973, p. 1 under orders of the U.S. Department of Transportation, after notice and comment was announced on December 5.Timothy Naftali, Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism (Basic Books, 2009) p. 66. As its first order of business, the members of the Canada's House of Commons, liberal and conservative, voted unanimously to condemn the American Christmas bombing of North Vietnam that was carried out from December 18 to December 29, 1972. The resolution, introduced by Mitchell Sharp, the MP who was Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs, began with a statement that the House "deplores the recent large-scale bombing in the Hanoi-Haiphong area", and added that the body "requests the government of the United States to refrain from resumption" of the bombing."Canadians Deplore Raids In Unanimous House Vote", by Jay Walz, The New York Times, January 6, 1973, p. 1 The move infuriated U.S. President Richard M. Nixon.John Hilliker, et al., Canada's Department of External Affairs, Volume 3: Innovation and Adaptation, 1968–1984 (University of Toronto Press, 2017) p. 135