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47th National Spelling Bee: Julie Ann Junkin wins spelling hydrophyte

The 47th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel on June 5–6, 1974, sponsored by the E.W.

The 47th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel on June 5–6, 1974, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.

The winner was 12-year-old Julie Ann Junkin, a sixth-grader from Gordo, Alabama, spelling "hydrophyte". Second place went to 14-year-old Gail Meier of Arlington, Tennessee (sponsored by the Memphis Press-Scimitar), who misspelled "mantelletta".

Junkin was the first sixth-grade contestant to win since John Capehart won in the 1961 competition, and the first winner from Alabama.

There were 80 entrants in that year, sponsored by 76 newspapers. The New York Daily News sent four spellers, and the San Juan Star sent two, one for Puerto Rico and one for the Virgin Islands. The field consisted of 40 girls and 40 boys.

Historical Significance

The 47th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

Events Before

  1. Britain, Ireland, and Denmark become the 7th, 8th, and 9th members of the European Economic Community

    Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that...

  2. Elvis Presley files for divorce from Priscilla Presley on his 38th birthday

    Elvis Presley files for divorce from Priscilla Presley on his 38th birthday

  3. Actress Jane Fonda weds activist Tom Hayden

    Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress and activist. Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television.

  4. In a landmark decision, the US Supreme Court legalizes most abortions (Roe v. Wade). Writing the majority opinion, Justi

    In a landmark decision, the US Supreme Court legalizes most abortions (Roe v. Wade). Writing the majority opinion, Justice Harry Blackmun states that the criminalization of abortion does not have "roots in the English common law tradition."

  5. US President Richard Nixon announces an accord has been reached to end the Vietnam War

    Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974.

Events After

  1. TV game show "Wheel of Fortune" debuts on NBC

    Wheel of Fortune (often known simply as Wheel) is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show has aired continuously since January 6, 1975.

  2. Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (57) weds toy inventor Jack Ryan (48) (div. 1976)

    Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (57) weds toy inventor Jack Ryan (48) (div. 1976)

  3. Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath for leadership of the British Conservative Party

    Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990.

  4. Colour television transmission begins in Australia

    Television broadcasting in Australia began officially on 16 September 1956, with the opening of TCN-9, quickly followed by national and commercial stations in Sydney and Melbourne, all these being in…

  5. "Mirror," a Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and starring Margarita Terekhova and Ignat Daniltsev, is released

    Mirror is a 1975 Soviet avant-garde drama film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and written by Tarkovsky and Aleksandr Misharin.

More from the 1970s

death

Erroll Garner dies

Erroll Garner dies

birth

Chai Jing is born

Chai Jing, Chinese journalist and environmental activist, known for chinese journalist and environmental activist, was born on 1976-01-01. Chai Jing is a Chinese journalist.

Charles "Chub" Feeney becomes the President of Major League Baseball's National League

Charles Stoneham "Chub" Feeney (August 31, 1921 – January 10, 1994) was an Irish-American front office executive in Major League Baseball.

Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US

Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 6, 1974?
The 47th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel on June 5–6, 1974, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
Why is 47th National Spelling Bee: Julie Ann Junkin wins spelling hydrophyte significant?
The 47th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.

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June 6 in HistoryYear 1974