Like much of the '70s, 1975 was a year defined by change, ones as big as the end of the Vietnam War and Black athletes taking their well-deserved place in sports history, and others as small as couples getting married, spending time with friends and enjoying the world as we'd come to reminisce on it.
From Elton John rocking out at Dodger Stadium to teenagers enjoying a day out at Hermosa Beach, here are 47 photos of what the world looked like in 1975.
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“Two brothers pose for a photo in Sequoia National Park moments before getting struck by lightning in August,1975.”
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“It's Christmas 1975. I'm 5 yrs old and so glad my dad survived Vietnam. I know he'll live to be my hero for many years.”
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“My grandparents in 1975.”
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“Ron Howard's Wedding To His (Still) Wife Cheryl In 1975--With Henry Winkler.”
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“Uncle in 1975, wish I knew what car that was.”
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“My Grandfather, May 1975.”
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“Led Zeppelin relaxing by the fireplace on their private jet ‘The Starship’, 1975.”
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“Pele and President Gerald Ford play with a soccer ball in the Rose Guard, White House, 1975.”
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“Elvis Presley on his SuperTrike 1975.”
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“An elderly man in Innsbruck, Austria, circa 1975.”
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“An International Women's Day March in New York, 1975, the year which the UN began celebrating the holiday.”
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“Female soldier of the Lebanese civil war. 1975-1990.”
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“Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov unveils his sketch of American astronaut Thomas Stafford during the first joint American-Soviet mission. July 17, 1975.”
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“The Damned 1975 at the World Trade Center (410 x 610) colorized by palette.fm.”
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“Arnold Schwarzenegger winning the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition in Pretoria, South Africa.”
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“Chess class in a school, 1975, Pskov, USSR.”
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“A 17 year old Prince at the beginning of his career, 1975.”
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‘Saturday Night Live’ cast members photographed during the show’s 1975 season.
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New Yorkers protest the beating of Peter Yew. In May 1975, Yew saw New York Police officers beating a teenager over a traffic violation. After attempting to intervene, the officers then brutally beat Yew, stripped him, and charged him with felonious assault. Many members of the city’s Chinese community protested against the violent incident, demonstrations that ultimately led to some changes in the policing of New York’s Fifth Precinct.
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Pro golfer Lee Elder competes in the 1975 Masters. As the first Black athlete to compete in the prestigious tournament, Elder was confident in his performance. "I didn't have any nervousness whatsoever," he said at one point during the competition, per ‘History’.
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A CIA agent guides evacuees into a U.S. helicopter in H Chi Minh City on April 29, 1975, just one day before the fall of Saigon.
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Tennis icon Arthur Ashe poses with his trophy after winning Wimbledon. He was the first Black man to win the tournament.
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Audiences line up to watch ‘Jaws.’
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“49 years ago … Gerald Ford survives assassination attempt by Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme.”
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NASA’s Viking 1 takes off from Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft would become the first successful Mars lander.
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Patty Hearst poses for a mugshot after being apprehended by police.
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Several world leaders — including United States President Gerald Ford and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau— sign the Helsinki Final Act in Helsinki, Finland.
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Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton as seen on their wedding day in October, 1975.
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The Dallas Cowboys face off against the Minnesota Vikings during the ‘Hail Mary’ NFC playoff game. The Cowboys won 17-14 after quarterback Roger Staubach successfully threw a 50-yard touchdown pass.
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“Led Zeppelin concert cancelled after fans trash Boston Garden. Boston Mayor Kevin White called off Led Zeppelin's concert when more than 2,000 fans caused $50,000 in damage while trying to buy tickets at Boston Garden, January 6, 1975.”
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“Carrie Fisher rocking a bandana in 1975.”
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“Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, 1975. From left to right: Garry W. Tallent, Danny Federici, The Boss, The Big Man, Max Weinberg, Steven Van Zandt, and Roy Bittan.”
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“Elton John Dodger Stadium Oct. 26, 1975.”
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“My grandmother and her ( much younger) boyfriend, 1975.”
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“My father found himself in a photo of the 1975 Pink Floyd concert in Hamilton, Ontario.”
