February 1975: A trip back in time

• On Saturday 8^th Nine members of the Stannary, the parliament of the Duchy of Cornwall, signed a resolution declaring Cornwall, and its 350,000 Cornishmen, independent of the United Kingdom. Bus conductor Brian Hamblet drew up the document, referring to himself as the "Lord Protector of the Stannary Parliament", after being referred to as Lord Protector of the Stannaries in a letter from the Ministry for the Environment
• On Tuesday 11^th Margaret Thatcher was elected as the new leader of the United Kingdom's Conservative Party, defeating Edward Heath and becoming the first woman to lead a major British political party and the first female Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition.  
• On Thursday 13th, British coal miners agreed to a 35% pay increase offered by the government, aiming to resolve ongoing industrial disputes.
• On Friday 28^th in the worst disaster in the 112-year history of London's underground subway system, 43 people were killed when their six-car train sped past its stop at London's Moorgate station and crashed into a wall.

• Art theft: On Thursday 6^th thieves in Italy broke into the Ducal Palace art museum at Urbino, and stole the paintings La Muta by Raphael, and the masterpieces The Flagellation of Christ and Madonna di Senigallia, by Piero della Francesca, considered to be three of the ten most famous Italian paintings from the Renaissance.
• Equal Pay: On Monday 10^th the Council of the European Community passed the Equal Pay Directive, requiring its member states to follow "the principle of equal pay for men and women".
• Turkish Federated State of Cyprus: On Thursday 13^th the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus was proclaimed by Rauf Denktaş, who had formerly been the Vice-President of the Republic of Cyprus until war divided the predominantly Greek southern half from the mostly Turkish northern part.
• Assassination in Madagascar: On 11th February, President Richard Ratsimandrava of the Malagasy Republic was assassinated in Tananarive, merely six days after his inauguration.
• Haicheng Earthquake: A significant earthquake struck Haicheng, Liaoning, China, on 4th February. Notably, the Chinese government had issued warnings hours before, advising residents to stay outdoors, which potentially saved many lives.

• "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel: This track reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in February 1975.
• "Please Mr. Postman" by The Carpenters: A popular cover of The Marvelettes' hit, it enjoyed significant airplay during this period.
• #9 Dream by John Lennon

• "The Man Who Would Be King": Starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine, this adventure film was well-received by British audiences.
• "The Towering Inferno": This disaster epic continued to draw large audiences.
• "Young Frankenstein": Mel Brooks' comedy continued to draw crowds in UK cinemas.

Births...

• Natalie Imbruglia (4th February): Australian singer and actress, known for her hit song "Torn".
• Todd Bertuzzi (2nd February): Canadian professional ice hockey player.
• Big Boi (1st February): American rapper, best known as a member of OutKast.

Deaths…

• Eli M. Black (3rd February): The CEO of United Brands, died by suicide in New York City. Subsequent investigations revealed his involvement in a bribery scandal concerning Honduran banana exports.
• Louis Jordan (4th February): Influential American jazz and blues musician.
• Morgan Taylo (16th February): American Olympic hurdler and 1924 gold medallist.
• Julian Huxley (14th): The renowned biologist and author passed away on 14th February in London at the age of 87.
• P.G. Wodehouse (14th): The celebrated author and humourist died of heart failure in Southampton, New York, aged 91, just a month after receiving a knighthood.