Here are some of the notable events and developments from the year 1975:

• The signing of the Helsinki Accords, and
• The release of Microsoft's first product, the BASIC programming language.
• The first oil shock, which resulted in increased oil prices and inflation
• The launch of the Altair 8800, one of the first personal computers
• The fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War.
• The first Jumbo Jet, the Airbus A300, made its first commercial flight.
• The biological toxin botulinum was first identified as a potential food poisoning agent.
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a cult classic film, had its theatrical premiere.
• The first parliamentary elections were held in Portugal after 48 years of dictatorship.
• The launch of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project marked the first international manned space mission.
• Margaret Thatcher became the leader of the British Conservative Party, making her the first female head of a major political party in the UK.