The Islamic Republic of Ayatollah Khomeini replaces the Shah of Iran. Iranian radicals invade the US embassy in Tehran taking 90 hostages of whom 53 are American. They demand the U. S. send the former Shah beck to Iran for trial.
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, highly respected by world political and religious leaders since 1916, is deposed after a critical famine. This ends the Solomonic dynasty begun in 1270. He died the following year.
When impeachment conviction by Congress becomes certain, Richard Nixon resigns.
Chili’s unstable, but democratically-elected, government of Pres. Allende, is overthrown by military forces of Gen. Pinochet, backed by U.S.
The Nobel Peace Prize is shared by Henry Kissinger (US) and Le Durc Tho (Vietnam) for the 1973 Paris agreement that brought about the cease-fire in Vietnam and the withdrawal of American forces.
President Nixon makes historic visit to China, meets Mao Zedong. He signs SALT I and Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Leonid Brezhnev.
Five White House operatives burglarize Watergate offices of Democratic National Committee. FBI investigations discovered connection between the Watergate burglars and the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, the official Nixon campaign.
The Vietnam war extends into Laos; 7000 arrested for D.C. protest activities. The New York Times begins publishing the Pentagon Papers which gave evidence that the Johnson administration lied to Americans and Congress about the Vietnam policies and combat escalations.
