1970s

1970's Timeline

Period: Jan 1, 1970 to Dec 31, 1979

Earth Day first celebrated the US

Apr 22, 1970

Earth Day Commercial 1971
Earth Day was the day when Environmental movments for better care of the Earth, like clean gases and reducing polution, were publicly displayed.

Clean Air Act becomes law

May 19, 1970

Air Pollution
The Clean Air Act was a federal law to try and control air pollution occuring and increasing in the United States.

Advertising Cigarettes on TV is banned

Jan 2, 1971

Cigarette "Real Effects" Commercial
A ban to advertise cigarettes on TV is approved after Nixon supported the view and research of cigarettes affecting the body very badly, especially for minors. This was a move to try and lessen the use of cigarettes on minors

26th Amendment passed

Mar 10, 1971

Amendment Signing
The Senate approves the 26th Amendment, which lowers the voting age from 21 to 18. It did go through the House, States, and President very smoothly and quickly.

Disney World Opens in Florida

Oct 1, 1971

Disney World Commercial 1994
Disney World opens in Orlando, Florida and expands their entertainment empire to the East Coast.

President takes Trip to China

Feb 21, 1972

Nixon meets with officials in Peking, China to begin process for normalization of relations in China

Watergate Scandal

Jun 17, 1972

Watergate Scandal Documentary
The Watergate Scandal was a scandal where four men were accused of breaking into the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate facility in Washington D.C.

Roe vs. Wade

Jan 22, 1973

Roe VS. Wade Documentary
Supreme Court rules that women cannot have an abortion in their first six months of pregnancy.

OPEC Oil Embargo

Oct 19, 1973

Oil Embargo Explained
Oil imports from Arab oil-producing countries are banned from selling oil to the US. This started after the beginning of the Arab-Israeli War and this results in the 1973 Energy Crisis.

Impeachment hearings are held for Nixon

May 7, 1974

Nixon Impeachment Hearings Report
The Judiciary House conducts impeachment hearings for Nixon and the 64 tapes of White House conversations about Watergate

Nixon Resigns

Aug 9, 1974

Nixon Resignation Speech
President Nixon resigns to avoid impeachment and he admits his cooperation in the Watergate Scandal. VP Gerald R. Ford pardoned Nixon for his role and replaced him. Nixon was the first president to resign.

Wheel of Fortune premiers

Jan 6, 1975

Wheel of Fortune Theme:1975
The Wheel of Fortune, one of the first televised game shows in the country, premiers

Communists finish takeover of South Vietnam

Apr 29, 1975

Soviet Union National Anthem
Communist forces finish the takeover of Saigon and force South Vietnam to surrender.

America celebrates bicentennial

Jul 4, 1976

Natinoal Anthem
July 4th, 1976 marks the 200th anniversary of the creation of the United States of America

Viking I lands successfully on Mars

Jul 20, 1976

Mars
The Viking I was the first space probe to successfully land on Mars and take colored pictures of the surface of the planet.

Microsoft becomes registered trademark

Nov 26, 1976

Microsoft Surface Pro
Microsoft becomes a registered trademark after Bill Gates and Paul Allen wrote a letter giving the name microcompuer software a year before

President Carter pardons Vietnam evaders

Jan 21, 1977

CCR Fortunate Son
Jimmy Carter pardons the 10,000 Vietnam War draft evaders, a crime punishable by many years in prison

15 nations sign nuclear-proliferation pact

Sep 21, 1977

Nuclear Explosion
15 nations, including the US and Soviet nion, sign apct to slow down the spread and manufacture of nuclear weapons.

The first balloon, Double Eagle II, crosses Atlantic Ocean

Aug 17, 1978

Double Eagle II was the first balloon to take a 137 hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean. It took off in Presque Isle, Maine and landed in Miserey, France.

US Senate votes to give Panama Canal back to Panama

Dec 31, 1978

Coolest Things: The Panama Canal
The US has had control of the canal since it's construction and the people of Panama believed it was their property (for obvious reasons). Congress approved the vote a year later after the return was signed (September 7th, 1977).

Three Mile Island Nuclear accident occurs

Mar 28, 1979

Nuclear Power at Three Mile Island
The Three Mile Island nuclear facility in Middletown, Pennsylvania records a partial core meltdown. This accident occured for five days and was the worst nuclear accident in the world....until Chernobyl seven years later

Iran Hostage Crisis

Nov 4, 1979

Argo: Movie about the Iran Hostage Crisis
63 of the 90 hostages are taken from the America Embassy in Tehran. 3000 militant student followers of Khomeini take the 63 hostages and demand that the now former shah should return to stand trial in Iran