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You should check out this website: https://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com/ it’s very entertaining.
Richard Nixon was the President and would win his second term in the November elections.
According to Wikipedia…
Nixon ordered the development of the Space Shuttle Program – a program I would grow up with and watch it’s decline and finally shuttering.
The last draft lottery was held, no one from that roster was called to duty.
In August, the last ground troops are withdrawn from Vietnam.
Mariner 9 sends pictures from Mars. Pioneer 10 is launched, the 1st man-made satellite to leave our solar system.
70 nations, including the US and USSR (now Russia) sign an agreement to ban biological warfare. The SALT and Antiballistic missile treaties are signed later in the year.
The Boston Marathon officially allowed women to compete (after previously arguing they did not have the physical stamina).
In another reversal of male stupidity… the first female FBI agents are hired.
Okinawa is returned to Japan after 27 years of US occupation.
Watergate, leading to Nixon’s removal hits the news mid-year.
This is an important one…. Atari releases the arcade version of Pong! <<– ON MY BIRTHDAY!
Appollo 17 is the last crewed mission to the moon in the 20th century.
The Godfather is the highest grossing movie and wins tons of awards, Marlon Brando wins an Academy Award for Best Actor. (And everyone had to go to a theatre to see it! No streaming, video tapes, whatever.)
Cabaret was a hit musical for which Liza Minelli won many awards.
The highest rated TV show was one called “All in the Family” — it was a sitcom, and it would never pass muster in today’s society. The main character was openly racist and homophobic which at the time American viewers deemed hilarious.
The top selling book was “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach. I’ve never read it and have no intentions to do so.
These were the Top 40 singles the week I was born:
PAPA WAS A ROLLIN’ STONE –•– The Temptations
I AM WOMAN –•– Helen Reddy
I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW –•– Johnny Nash
I’D LOVE YOU TO WANT ME –•– Lobo
IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME BY NOW –•– Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
SUMMER BREEZE –•– Seals and Crofts
YOU OUGHT TO BE WITH ME –•– Al Green
IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA –•– Albert Hammond
I’LL BE AROUND / HOW COULD I LET YOU GET AWAY –•– The Spinners
VENTURA HIGHWAY –•– America
In the year I was born, here’s what things cost:
- Regular gas: 36 cents a gallon
- Rib-eye steak: $2.49 a pound
- Vanilla ice cream: $1.29 a gallon
- Milk: 89 cents a gallon
- Loaf of bread: 25 cents
- Eggs: 44 cents per dozen
- Bacon: 79 cents a pound
- Coffee: 66 cents a pound
- Chuck roast: 65 cents a pound
- Cantaloupes: 11 cents a pound
- Sweet corn: 5 cents an ear
- Paint: $3 a gallon (but it still had lead in it)
- Brand New Ford Mustang: $2500 (yeah, I need a flipping time machine now)
- New washer & dryer from Sears: $300
- US Average Home cost: $30,500
