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First Earth Day is observed
Earth day was founded to take care of the earth and protect the environment. Gaylord Nelson, a US senator, founded earth day after witnessing a tragic oil spill in 1969. It is observed every year on April 22. -
Kent State shooting
Ohio National Guardsmen were sent to the college campus in order to maintain peace and order during a protest by the students against the Vietnam war. For an unknown reason, the National Guard fired into the crowd. Four were killed, and nine were wounded. This event caused many other protests at colleges across the country. -
Cigarette ad ban
The Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act was created in 1970 and put into effect on Jan. 2, 1971. This banned tobacco ads from both radio and television. Later on, it was banned from magazines, newspapers, and billboards. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment that was written in the 1920s was finally passed by both houses of Congress. It did not obtain enough votes from the states in the given time period in order to become part of the Constitution. It still has not been approved today even though it has been reintroduced every year since 1982. -
Watergate Scandal
5 men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The offices of political opponents were bugged, along with people that the Nixon administration was suspicious of. The Nixon administration attempted to cover up its involvement. The scandal revealed how Nixon and his administration were abusing their power. President Nixon resigned shortly after. -
Apollo 17
Apollo 17 was the final mission of the United States lunar landing program. It consisted of a three man crew and was the sixth mission of the Apollo lunar landings. It was also the longest manned lunar landing flight. -
Roe v. Wade
Supreme Court announces decision to allow women to terminate a pregnancy. This decision was bassed on the ninth and fourteenth amendments to the constitution. It was a prominent action in the women's rights campaign. -
Super Outbreak
This is the (now second) largest "outbreak" of tornadoes in a 24 hour period. It was only beat by April 25, 2011. The tornadoes ripped through thirteen US states and one Canadian province. There were 319 killed and over 5,000 injured. -
Microsoft Founded
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft. It became the dominant computer system company throughout the 1980s. It is still a very successful company today and is worth billions of dollars. -
First episode of Saturday Night Live premiered
John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, and Chevy Chase star in the first episode of SNL. The show became wildly popular and still continues today. -
48th Annual Academy Awards
Jack Nicholson wins best actor for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in his role of R.P. McMurphy. Louise Fletcher also won for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched. The film also won best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay. -
Jimmy Carter Pardons Draft Evaders
During his first day in office, Jimmy Carter pardoned thousands of men that avoided the Vietnam draft by either fleeing the country or failing to register. -
Roots airs on ABC
Roots becomes the most successful mini series in television history. It has a large impact on the viewing of slavery in our nations history. It was an eight episode series aired between Jan. 23 and Jan. 30. -
First Test Tube Baby born
Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Dr. Robert Edwards had been working for many years on finding a way for sterile women to have children. It was the first child born of a successful in vitro fertilization. -
Jonestown Massacre
There was a cult led James Warren Jones. It was founded in 1955. In 1977, Jones and his followers moved to Jonestown in Guyana, Africa. Some relatives of the members of this group wanted to involve the US government because they believed members were being held there against their will. After an incident involving a US congressmen, Jones proceeded to poison the entire population of Jonestown using poisoned Kool Aid.
