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The following events occurred in January 1976:
January 1, 1976 (Thursday) A bomb exploded in the forward cargo compartment of Middle East Airlines Flight 438, a Boeing 720-023B, at an altitude of over Saudi Arabia. The airliner broke up and crashed northwest of Al Qaysumah, killing all 81 people on board. After more than 40 years, responsibility for the bombing has never been established. Venezuela took formal possession of its oil industry, nationalizing the operations of 30 foreign oil companies, including Exxon, Gulf and Mobil, as part of the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA). The Australian Defence Force came into existence with the merger under a unified command of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Ontario became the first Canadian province (and one of the first sub-national governmental units in the world) to require the mandatory use of seat belts. A fire at the Six-Neuf Club in the Belgium city of La Louviere, and the subsequent panic, killed 15 partygoers. After ringing in the year 1976, the crowd was celebrating when the electricity failed in the club. One of the people present used a cigarette lighter to see in the dark and accidentally set plastic holiday decorations on fire. The #1 ranked team in college football, the undefeated (11-0-0) Ohio State Buckeyes, was upset by the #11 UCLA Bruins, 23 to 10, in the Rose Bowl in the afternoon. The loss, coming more than a week after #2 ranked Texas A&M had lost its two final games of the season, placed the #3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in position to win the unofficial NCAA championship if they could beat the #5 Michigan Wolverines in the Orange Bowl that evening. The Sooners win, 14 to 6, and were voted #1 by both the AP writers' poll and the UPI coaches' poll the next day. Shortly after the new year began, the Liberty Bell was moved to a new location after 223 years at Philadelphia's Independence Hall. The temporary relocation was made to a pavilion 100 yards from the Hall, deemed too small to handle tourists who would come for the U.S. bicentennial celebration. Born: Tank (stage name for Durrell Babbs), American R&B and rap singer; in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
January 2, 1976 (Friday) The Oklahoma Sooners were named as the unofficial college football national champions in the two "wire service" polls recognized by the NCAA. In the Associated Press poll of sportswriters, Oklahoma received 54½ of the 63 first-place voted the day after their 14 to 6 win in the Orange Bowl, and 21 of the 36 voted in the United Press International poll of coaches. The Overseas Citizens’ Voting Rights Act was signed into law by U.S. President Gerald Ford after having been passed by Congress, primarily because of the lobbying of Andy Sundberg. Although the new law did not grant voting rights to citizens who were residents of U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico), it did allow the citizens registered to vote in one of the 50 states of the United States, to vote in federal elections while temporarily living overseas. The financially-ailing Denver Spurs of the World Hockey Association announced their mid-season relocation from the U.S. to Canada, hours before playing a road game against the Cincinnati Stingers. Although the team appeared in their Denver uniforms in their 2 to 1 loss, the scoreboard listed the 13-20-1 team under its new name, the Ottawa Civics. The WHA's Ottawa team would exist for only 13 days and play seven games before being disbanded by the league on January 17. "WHA Disbands Ottawa Civics As Sale Fails", Bridgeport (CT) Post, January 2, 1976 Polskie Radio Program IV began broadcasting in Poland. The office of High Commissioner of the British Western Pacific Territories was abolished. Sheffield Cablevision, one of five community cable television experiments authorised by the UK's Minister for Posts and Telecommunications in 1972, closed down because of lack of funds. Ted Marchibroda, who accomplished one of the most remarkable turnarounds in sports history by leading the Baltimore Colts to the Eastern Division title, was named United Press International American Football Conference coach of the year for 1975.