Hertsmere Borough Council celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, having been formed on April 1, 1974 as a result of the Local Government Act 1972.
This brought together the former area of Bushey Urban and Potters Bar Urban districts with Elstree Rural District and the parish of Aldenham, part of Watford.
Council leader Councillor Morris Bright says the 40th anniversary will provide an opportunity, in part, for a "bit of fun and nostalgia", so here are ten facts about 1974:
1) Homer Simpson paid reference to the year when he said in one episode: "Why do you need new bands? Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact."
It's a scientific fact that rock music attained perfection in 1974, at least according to Homer Simpson
2) It's not clear why Homer was stirred up in such a way but it was quite a good year for music. UK number one singles included Abba's Waterloo, David Essex's Gonna Make You A Star and The Three Degrees' When Will I See You Again.
3) It wasn't a bad year for movies either. The Godfather Part II won best film at the Oscars, two years after the first installment in the trilogy also won the award.
Did you see The Godfather Part II in 1974?
4) Homer wasn't too far off the mark, though. Patti Smith did release what is considered the first punk rock single, Hey Joe.
5) It wasn't all rock'n'roll during the year, although crooner Frank Sinatra did cause quite a storm. On his much-talked about visit to Australia for a series of concerts, he made some less than favourable remarks about the country's journalists. He later apologised.
6) Sinatra's row, however, seemed like a bit of a storm in a tea cup compared to England adopting a three-day work week during the miners' strike.
7) Forty years ago, the world population was four billion people. Today it stands at more than 7.2 billion.
8) For football fans, all eyes were on one corner of the globe as West Germany defeated Holland 2-1 in the 1974 World Cup final.
A new World Cup trophy was introduced for the 1974 finals
9) As for Europe, Germany took over the Presidency of the Council of European Communities.
10) That hasn't perhaps had as much impact on the general individual as the simple yet effective Post-It note. It was invented in 1974 by Arthur Fry.
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