The 1970's

The 1970's

Period: Jan 1, 1970 to Dec 31, 1979

Apollo 13 mission suffers huge setback

Apr 14, 1970

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The Apollo 13 mission was thought to be successful, but that all changed when an oxygen tank exploded in the ship and damaged it, which forced the crew to return home and abort the lunar landing. Sources

18 year olds given the right to vote

Jun 22, 1970

PictureAmericans were mad that 18 year olds were old enough to fight in wars, but were not old enough to vote. That changed when President Nixon certified the 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age to 18. Sources

The Beatles Break Up

Dec 31, 1970

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The Beatles Break up didn’t just consist of one event. It consisted of numerous events over a course of a few years. It happened officially when Paul McCartney files a suit to dissolve the Beatles partnership. Sources

Disney World Opens

Oct 1, 1971

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Disney World was opened on October 1, 1971, and it has since then been the mist-visited entertainment resort in the world Sources

The Microprocessor is Introduced.

Nov 21, 1971

PictureThe microprocessor is a small “chip” device that revolutionized an industry. The microprocessor is the brains of a computer and other devices, and without it, the world would be different. It was patented in 1970, and introduced to the public in November 1971. Sources

China joins the UN

Nov 24, 1971

PictureChina’s spot in the UN was originally occupied by the Republic of China from October 24, 1945 to November 24, 1971, but it has since then been occupied by the People’s Republic of China .The ROC got moved to Taiwan, and it has no representatives for the ROC’s spot in the UN. Sources

Pong, the first successful video game, is launched

Jun 14, 1972

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Pong was released in June 1972, and it has since then been an instant hit. It was the first successful video game released, and it has inspired an entire generation of video games. Sources

Terrorists Attack at the Olympic Games in Munich

Aug 26, 1972

PictureThe Munich Summer Olympics were held from August 26 to September 5, 1972. Members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian terrorist group. In the end, eleven Israeli athletes and coaches were killed. Sources

M*A*S*H T.V. Show Premieres

Sep 17, 1972

PictureM*A*S*H was a hit American T.V series that was released on Sep. 17, 1972 and ended Feb. 28, 1983. The show follows a team of doctors and support staff during the Korean War. The series, which covered a three-year military conflict, spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons. Sources

Sears Tower is Built

May 3, 1973

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The Sears Tower in Chicago is a 108 story, 1,451 foot skyscraper. The construction for it started in 1970, and it took roughly 3 years and $150 million to build. It is now currently called the Willis Tower. Sources

U.S. troops start to pull out of Vietnam

Jun 4, 1973

PictureDuring the Vietnam War, thousands of people were killed due to the fighting going on. The fighting led to peace talks between the U.S. and the North Vietnamese. The South Vietnamese were to determine their own future without U.S. aid. By the end of 1973, almost all U.S. military personnel had left South Vietnam. Sources

Paul Getty Kidnapped

Jul 10, 1973

PictureAt 3am on July 10, 1973, Paul Getty III was kidnapped in Rome. The kidnappers sent out a ransom note, demanding $17 million in exchange for his safe return. Shortly after, a lock of hair and a human ear were received, and the kidnappers said that if the ransom wasn’t paid, then Getty would come in bits. After that, a deal was made, and the ransom was paid for about $2.9 million. Sources

Patty Hearst Kidnapped

Feb 4, 1974

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Patty Hearst was kidnapped on February 4, 1974 by an urban guerrilla group called the Symbionese Liberation Army. After failed attempts to free her, Patty joined the SLA and robbed many places, for them. Later she was arrested with other SLA members Sources

Girls are allowed to play in Little League Baseball

Mar 30, 1974

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From 1951 through 1974, Little League was for boys only. In 1974, Little League rules were revised to allow participation by girls in the baseball program following the result of a lawsuit filed by the National Organization for Women on behalf of Maria Pepe. Sources

President Nixon Resigns

Aug 9, 1974

PictureOn August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced that he was resigning as President during a television broadcast. He became the first U.S. president in history to resign from office. Sources

Microsoft is Founded

Apr 4, 1975

PictureMicrosoft was founded on April 4, 1975 in Albuquerque, NM by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. It is a multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, that produces a wide range of products and services mainly related to computing and it is really successful. Sources

Jimmy Hoffa disappears

Jul 6, 1975

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James Riddle “Jimmy” Hoffa was an American labor union leader. He was involved with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union as an organizer from 1932 until his mysterious disappearance in July 1975. Sources

Francisco Franco Dies

Nov 10, 1975

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Francisco Franco was a Spanish general, dictator and the leader of the Nationalist military rebellion in the Spanish Civil War, and totalitarian head of state of Spain from October 1936 until his death in November 1975. His death was a shock to the nation of Spain and the world. Sources

Apple Computer Launched

Apr 1, 1976

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Apple Computer Inc. is an American corporation that designs and sells consumer electronics. It was established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California and since then opened hundreds of stores nationwide. Sources

Legionnaires Disease strikes 182, kills 29

Apr 5, 1976

PictureLegionnaires Disease is a form of pneumonia. The name of the disease came from a state convention of the American Legion in 1976. There, 182 Legionnaires contracted the disease and 29 were killed. Sources

Red Dye #2 is banned

Jun 13, 1976

PictureIn the 1970s, the Soviets came out with a dye called Red Dye no. 2. The dye was said to be linked to cancer, and in 1976 it was banned from U.S shelves even though there were no deaths caused by the dye. Even Red M&Ms were pulled from shelves because the dye was used In it. Sources

Star Wars Movie is Released

May 25, 1977

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Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was the first Star Wars movie to come out, which was released on May 25, 1977. It has since then brought the Star Wars series to great success. Sources

Neutron Bomb funding begins

Jun 9, 1977

PictureThe neutron bomb was a type of thermonuclear weapon designed to release large amounts of energy as neutron radiation instead of explosive energy. The radiation could pierce through large amounts of armor and earth. The bomb was purchased in June 1977 Source 2
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Elvis Found Dead

Aug 16, 1977

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Elvis Presley was found dead at his home in Memphis on August 16, 1977. His body was found by his girlfriend in the upstairs bathroom. He was confirmed dead at 3:30 by his physician. Sources

First Test-Tube Baby is Born

Jul 25, 1978

PictureOn July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown was born in Great Britain and is the first test-tube baby to be born. There were some problems trying to make the fertilization possible for Louise to be born, but it all paid off in the end.
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Camp David accords for Middle East Peace

Sep 17, 1978

The Camp David Peace Accords were a group of treaties that were signed by the Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menaachem Begin on September 17, 1978. They were witnessed by Jimmy Carter. Picture
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Jonestown Massacre

Nov 18, 1978

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The Jonestown massacre was a series of events involving the People’s Temple and a congressman that led up to 918 people being killed due to Kool-Aid poisoned with cyanide, and Valium, 276 of them being children. Sources

ESPN starts broadcasting

Sep 7, 1979

ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) a global cable T.V. network that mainly shows sports-related programming. It launched on September 7, 1979, and has since then been popular among sports fans.
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The Greensboro Massacre

Nov 3, 1979

On November 3, 1979 in Greensboro, North Carolina, five protest marchers were shot and killed by members of the KKK and the American Nazi Party. This became known as the Greensboro Massacre.
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The Iran Hostage Crisis

Nov 9, 1979

The Iran Hostage Crisis was a scary event where a group of students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran. The hostages were held for 444 days (Nov. 4, 1979 - Jan. 20, 1981), and were released when Raegan was sworn in office
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