50 Interesting Facts About The 1970s

The 70s was a rollercoaster ride of bizarre, enthralling, and inexplicable events that definitely helped in shaping today’s worldwide view of people. Following the aftermath of war and the beginning of a new era, the innovative developments that showed at this point will forever remain the epitome of a flashy and classic combination.

1. The ’70s was the booming moment for the minority groups to ask for their own equal rights. Women, African-Americans, and gay people were inclined to protest and ask for what is amicably righteous.
2. It was considered as the “me” decade; and refers to the shifting of attitudes from the classic 60s down to the more rebellious individualists.
3. Black Sabbath released their very first eponymous album, a movement that arguably started the heavy metal scene.
4. Paul McCartney publicly announced his departure from the most iconic band in the 60s called the Beatles, and the band broke up shortly after. 
5. The anti-War movement was at its peak, following the protest against the American citizens on the ongoing war of the US between Vietnam and Cambodia.
6. Jimi Hendrix, considered as one of the best instrumentalists in history, died at the age of 27.
7. Janis Joplin, an American soul, and blues singer died at 27 years old, two weeks after Hendrix’s death.
8. The Intel company first released their commercially available microprocessor called Intel 4004.
9. Stanley Kubrick’s iconic film “Clockwork Orange” was released. The movie was so controversial that it prompted other countries to ban the movie for decades. Ultram
10. A second “leap second” was added during New Year’s eve in January 1972. The year contained 366 days and 2 seconds— the longest year so far.
11. Burt Reynolds posed nude for the April 1972 edition of Cosmopolitan Magazine. The photo skyrocketed him into stardom.
12. Elvis Presley’s “Aloha from Hawaii” concert made history as the first concert to be seen via satellite from over 40 countries.
13. After 14 years of construction, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
14. Bosphorus Bridge in Turkey was officially opened, connecting the two continents of Asia and Europe for the first time in history.
15. The Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry Circle revolutionary claimed for the first time, that homosexuality is not a mental illness.
16. In 1973, the US combat boots left South Vietnam that prompted the end of the Vietnam War.
17. Patty Heart, the granddaughter of William Hearst, was kidnapped by an anti-capitalist group. Hearst, later on, expressed sympathy to her kidnappers, which led her as the best example for the “Stockholm syndrome.”
18. Barcode was scanned for the very first time. The code was attached to a pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum.
19. Former US president Richard Nixon announced his resignation from his presidency, following the events of the Watergate scandal.
20. Two pubs in Birmingham, England were torn down with bomb explosions. The incident killed 21 people. 
21. The skeletal bones of the humanoid species named Australopithecus Afarensis were first discovered in Ethiopia. It was then named “Lucy” inspired by the Beatles’ song called “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.
22. Erno Rubik created the Rubik’s cube. It was named first as “magic cube”, but it eventually was replaced so when he sold his patent to the ideal toy company.
23. The United Nations celebrated the first International Women’s Day that commemorated the wonders and contributions of females from around the globe.
24. Bill Gates and Paul Allen created the first Microsoft company in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is one of the most successful companies as of today.
25. The movie “Jaws” was released, a film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is widely considered as one of the first blockbusters in cinema, as well as the greatest films of all time.
26. The first-ever Saturday Night Live episode was commercially aired on tv. Today, SNL is still going strong.
27. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was released by the band Queen. The song will become one of the best songs of all time, and arguably the famous song of the group.
28. The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde took its first commercial flight. Its maximum speed is twice the speed of sound and can cater to at least 90-120 passengers.
29. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the very first Apple company. As of today, Apple is the first company to succeed on the trillion-dollar mark. 
30. NASA’s Viking 1 spacecraft landed successfully on Mars. It became the very first successful mission conducted for the red planet. 
31. In August 1977, the first movie of the iconic Star Wars was released. It became an instant hit and is considered one of the best science fiction movies to exist.
32. Spain held its first-ever democratic elections. The country was ruled over the monarchs for hundreds of years before it was granted the people the right to democratic voting. 
33. The National Assembly of Quebec passed a chapter that made French the official language in the province of Quebec in Canada.
34. Anti-gay rights advocate and singer Anita Bryant was famously “pied” in her face by 4 gay men. The incident happened on a live broadcast of a televised interview.
35. On the 25th of December 1977, the legendary comedian Charlie Chaplin died in his sleep. Two days after his burial, his body was stolen by two unknown people who attempted to plead for money from the family of the dead comedian. Luckily his body was retrieved and the family buried him in a theft-proof coffin to make sure that the incident will never happen again. 
36. Templo Mayor, the main temple of the Aztec Empire was accidentally dug by a group of electrical engineers in Mexico. 
37. The Mormon Church opened the very first policy that extended their priesthood wishes to all worthy males, including black men. This was done to lift the massive racist beliefs that the church once had.
38. Garfield the Cat made his debut in 41 US newspapers. The beloved cat will go on to become one of the greatest cartoon animals in history.
39. The symbolic “rainbow flag” of the LGBT was raised for the first time in the San Francisco Gay Parade.
40. Disco was so popular for the decade, leading to the term “Saturday Night Fever”.
41. The Philipps and Sony company demonstrated its first-ever compact disk. The evolution became a revolutionary turn for technology in the next generations to come.
42. The United Kingdom voted the very first female Prime Minister. Margaret Thatcher was among the worst prime ministers of the country. 
43. McDonald’s “Happy Meal” was introduced in their massive chain of fast food outlets.
44. Typhoon Tip, the biggest tropical cyclone ever recorded in history, hit Guam.
45. The founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, made a directorial debut of an animated film.
46. The hippie movement was now officially erased and drug use was prohibited.
47. The Munich Massacre happened during the Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. The incident was feared by many people.
48. Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece, The Godfather, gained its best picture award from Oscars. The film became a symbolic masterpiece of the movie scene.
49. The first case of the Ebola Virus outbreak happened. About 88% of the people infected died from the disease. 
50. Sex was no longer considered taboo in most countries. After the FDA’s approval on the birth-control pills, people have embraced what was referred to as the “Free-love movement.”