From the Watergate scandal, deposition of Haile Selassie and the expulsion of Solzhenitsyn from the Soviet Union, to ABBA's landmark victory at the Eurovision Song Contest and the production of the very first Volkswagen Golf — a concise, entertaining survey of an important year in 20th-century history, published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of 1974.

1974 was a year of major changes around the world.

Presidents resigned, emperors were deposed, and new governments came to power. On both sides of the Atlantic, major political figures left the scene, either through resignation or electoral defeat. Leaders of nations died. Regimes crumbled.

In society, the second wave of feminism grew in strength and the rights of historically underrepresented groups were more powerfully asserted. The BBC aired the first lesbian kiss on British TV. In Italy, the right to divorce was protected in a landmark referendum. However, terrorism and the pursuit of political ends through violence became ever more commonplace.

The arts and entertainment industries were in the midst of a period of great creativity and innovation. In America, Scorsese, Spielberg and Coppola were making their mark. Popular music was arguably at a low point but the first stirrings of the punk revolution to come could be heard in New York clubs. And a Swedish band that were to become a phenomenon won the Eurovision Song Contest.

The roots of many aspects of today's society which we take for granted lie in the 1970s and particularly in this, the decade's pivotal year.