The Most Fascinating News Headlines From 50 Years Ago

Be it political scandals, presidential assassination attempts, or classic boxing matches, the headlines from 50 years ago were full of wild stories. While much has changed, the landscape of the country also looks the same in many ways. Economic woes and government scandals seem eternal but these were potent years for news stories.

That said, nothing dominated the headlines from back then quite like the Watergate Scandal and President Richard Nixon. Let's look at some of the top news headlines from 50 years ago; the country's concerns back then might surprise you. (For other news from the period, explore the biggest American headlines of 1970.)

To compile a slideshow of the most fascinating news headlines from 50 years ago, 24/7 Tempo consulted several historical sources, including The (Fort Myers) News-Press, The New York Times Archives, and Historic-Newspapers.co.uk. We then confirmed aspects of each headline story using sites like the U.S. Office of the Historian, MLB.com, and Britannica.com.

In early February 1974, heiress to the Hearst Media fortune Patty Hearst was kidnapped out of her Berkeley, California, apartment. In short order, an urban guerilla left-wing group called the Symbionese Liberation Army took credit for her abduction. They made a series of demands for her release but there was no sign of Patty for the rest of the year.

It took two years for the scandal surrounding the burglary of the Democratic National Committee's Headquarters at the D.C. Watergate Complex to break. With enough evidence to take them to task, a grand jury indicted seven of President Richard Nixon's advisors and aides for their role in the incident. Furthermore, the grand jury named Nixon as an unindicted co-conspirator.

Angry over the United States' support of Israel in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) imposed an embargo against the country. This had a profound effect on the economy of the oil-reliant U.S., resulting in gas shortages and long lines for refueling. The prospect of negotiations between Israel and Syria in 1974 was enough incentive for OPEC to lift the embargo.

On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron made baseball history when he toppled Babe Ruth's long-standing home run record by hitting 715 career home runs. With a quick and decisive crack of his bat, Aaron became the new world record holder — and it would take another 30 years for his record to be broken by Barry Bonds.

Less than a decade after her son Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, his mother Alberta Williams King was killed. Marcus Chenault, 21, shot King while she played the church organ at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on June 30, 1974.

On July 7, 1974, the West German football (soccer) team defeated the Netherlands in a decisive match. This earned West Germany the FIFA World Cup. It also marked the first time that the current FIFA World Cup Trophy, designed by sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded to the winning team.

President Richard Nixon resigned on a day that will forever go down in history. Faced with mounting evidence of his involvement in the Watergate Scandal, Nixon opted to leave the Oval Office with some sense of dignity before he was arrested. It proved a wise move, as his successor Gerald Ford pardoned him.

Some people earn the Oval Office by conventional election. Others, like Gerald Ford, find themselves there after the government endures a series of scandals. While serving as House minority leader, Ford was appointed to the vice presidency through the 25th Amendment after Spiro Agnew resigned. Less than a year later, Nixon's resignation rocketed Ford into the White House to become the 38th president of the United States.

Throughout the early 1970s, Evil Knievel became world famous for his death-defying motorcycle stunts. He took it to the next level, however, when he attempted to jump Snake River Canyon in Ohio on Sept. 8, 1974. Though he used a rocket-powered bike, his jump proved too short and his parachute deployed prematurely. Remarkably, Knievel survived the attempt with only minor injuries.

Already a legend in boxing, Muhammad Ali took it to new heights when he faced off against champion George Foreman at the "Rumble in the Jungle." Despite Foreman's powerhouse punches, Ali endured and won the title fight with a knockout.

Though the oil embargo had been lifted, the mid-seventies were not kind to the American economy. By the end of 1974, unemployment reached 6.5%, its highest in 13 years. Thanks to dwindling industries and sluggish market gains, it would take nearly another decade for the economy to hit an upswing.

In a fascinating story, a British politician unsuccessfully faked his death. Facing mounting scandals and allegations of espionage, Minister John Stonehouse faked his death in Miami before being discovered and brought up on charges. (For scandals of a more spiritual nature, discover pastor scandals that got quietly swept under the rug.)

Armed with one of the greatest defensive teams in football history, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys and took home the Super Bowl X championship.

The Watergate Scandal dominated the headlines of 1974. It took until the beginning of 1975, however, for justice to be served. For their roles in the botched burglary, several top White House aides and advisors received jail sentences.

In something like an ominous portent of things to come, six floors of the World Trade Center caught fire the day before Valentine's Day in 1975.

In the winter of 1975, The New York Times ran a profile of the former actor and California Gov. Ronald Reagan as he hit the campaign trail. This piece served as a quiet foreshadowing of Reagan's successful presidential campaigns and domination of political headlines in the 1980s.

For a decade or more, the American people had endured conscription, bloodshed, and tragedy thanks to the war in Vietnam. The South Vietnamese American allies finally surrendered to the North Vietnamese Vietcong in late April 1975.

Up-and-coming movie director Steven Spielberg became an instant legend once he released "Jaws" in 1975. The film focuses on a killer shark and the men who try to stop it. It quickly became a blockbuster hit and cemented Spielberg's reputation for years to come.

For over a year, heiress Patty Hearst was a phantom. That is until she was picked up on closed-circuit television helping the Symbionese Liberation Army rob a bank. Once she was rescued, Hearst faced charges for her role in the group's crimes. After being convicted and sentenced to 35 years, her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter. President Bill Clinton later pardoned her.

After President Gerald Ford spoke to the World Affairs Council in San Francisco, Sara Jane Moore attempted to kill him but missed. Remarkably, Ford had survived another assassination attempt only 17 days earlier. (For automotive innovations, discover the most iconic muscle cars of the 1960s and '70s.)