Timeline December 1975

Events in December 1975 18

• 1897 – 1975 Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) Died 7 December 1975, aged 78 Thornton Wilder was an American playwright and novelist who won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" and the plays "Our Town" and "The Skin of Our Teeth." His work explored universal themes of everyday life and mortality. He died at his home in Hamden, Connecticut.
• 1906 – 1975 Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) Died 4 December 1975, aged 69 Hannah Arendt was a German-born American political theorist known for her writings on totalitarianism, including "The Origins of Totalitarianism" and "Eichmann in Jerusalem." She fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and became one of the twentieth century's most influential political philosophers. She died in New York City.
• 1968 – 1975 Waseda University Studied drama at Waseda University in Tokyo. Participated in student protests of the late 1960s but grew disillusioned with radical politics. In 1971, while still a student, married fellow student Yoko Takahashi, who would become his closest companion, first reader and most trusted critic.
• 1969 – 1975 National Security Advisor Served as National Security Advisor under President Richard Nixon and then Gerald Ford, overseeing the opening to China in 1972 and the policy of détente with the Soviet Union.
• 1972 – 1975 The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour Served as announcer on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, continuing to build his career as an in-demand voice talent in television.
• 1973 – 1975 Management Career Briefly managed Preston North End (1973–1975) after retiring as a player, before moving into ambassadorial roles for Manchester United and English football.
• 1975 1975: Niki Lauda Ferrari Austrian Lauda won the first of his three titles with Ferrari, bringing the Italian team back to the top of the sport after a long drought.
• 1975 Exile to France Emigrated to France, settling in Paris. He would never return to live in Czechoslovakia.
• 1975 La Scala Debut Made her debut at Milan's Teatro alla Scala as a last-minute replacement. When the scheduled soprano Mirella Freni fell ill, Pavarotti reportedly cried: 'Get Cotrubas!' The audience response was rapturous.
• 1975 The Rocky Horror Picture Show — Film Reprised his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, co-starring Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. The film initially underperformed but became a global cult phenomenon through midnight screenings, notorious for rowdy audience participation with callbacks, props and costumes. It became a rare beacon for the LGBTQ community in a pre-internet age.
• 1975 Tommy Played the Acid Queen in Ken Russell's film adaptation of The Who's rock opera Tommy, delivering a scene-stealing performance.
• 1975 Eagles' Bernie Leadon quits, Joe Walsh joins Line-up change The country player leaves and the rock guitarist arrives.
• 1975 – 2025 Mia Love (1975-2025) Died 23 March 2025, aged 49 American politician from Utah who served in the House of Representatives, the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress.
• 1975 Indonesia invades East Timor Indonesian forces seize former Portuguese colony Indonesian military forces invaded East Timor on 7 December 1975, days after the territory had declared independence from Portugal. The occupation began a conflict that would last until East Timor's independence in 2002 and cause a very high death toll among the territory's population. The invasion took place with tacit acceptance from the United States and Australia.
• 1975 Parliament release Mothership Connection Give Up the Funk Their masterpiece, with Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker).
• 1975 – 1988 Heather O'Rourke (1975-1988) Died 1 February 1988, aged 12 Heather O'Rourke was an American child actress known for playing Carol Anne Freeling in the Poltergeist film trilogy. She died from complications of a misdiagnosed bowel obstruction shortly after completing Poltergeist III. Her death shocked audiences given her young age and the films' supposed curse.
• 1975 – present Tiger Woods American professional golfer, one of the greatest in the sport's history Eldrick "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He rewrote the record books with 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour wins, dominating the game through the late 1990s and 2000s before overcoming personal scandal and career-threatening injuries to complete one of sports' most celebrated comebacks with his 2019 Masters victory.
• 1975 Tiger Woods born in Cypress, California Birth of a golfing prodigy Tiger Woods was born Eldrick Woods on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, to Earl and Kultida Woods. His father introduced him to golf before he could walk, and by age two he was already putting on national television, foreshadowing a career defined by intense early specialization and singular focus on the game.