1975

1975 is a year in the Gregorian calendar (the dating system used by most of the world), which began on a Wednesday. It is a common year, not a leap year (a year with 366 days).

That year was marked by major political events occurring in Asia, Europe, and Africa, and by shifts in relations among the great powers during the Cold War (the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union).

Political events

In April 1975, the Vietnam War came to an end when the armed forces of North Vietnam entered the city of Saigon. Subsequently, a single unified Vietnam was established. That same year, Cambodia's government was handed over to the Khmer Rouge movement.

In Europe, Spain saw the death in November 1975 of leader Francisco Franco, which opened the way for a transition to a constitutional monarchy system. That year the Helsinki Accords were also signed in Helsinki, an agreement on cooperation and security in Europe concerning borders and human rights.

Africa and Somalia

1975 saw the end of Portuguese colonialism in Africa; Angola and Mozambique gained independence. Somalia, that year was marked by the "Daba-dheer" drought which affected many regions, and by government programs that displaced people for economic and water-access purposes.

Science and technology

That year saw the implementation of the joint Apollo–Soyuz mission, a docking in space between an American spacecraft and a Soviet one. It was also the period when personal computer manufacturing began to grow.