Though the process of their split was a long one that started in the late 60s, it culminated in 1970 when Paul McCartney announced publicly on April 10th that he was leaving the Beatles. There wasn’t any one reason they broke up. Rather, it was a variety of contributing factors that led to their split—though creative differences and the intrusion of Yoko Ono are largely cited as the main reasons.
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In a pivotal move toward peace between the US and China, President Richard Nixon visited China in February of 1972. This made him the first U.S. President to do so. This was the first step in creating a sustainable relationship between the two countries.
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In 1973, the Miami Dolphins, under coach Don Shula, did what no NFL team had ever done. That season, they didn’t lose a single game on their way to the Super Bowl, Super Bowl VII, which they also won. To this day no team has been able to recreate that feat. Some have had perfect seasons, but none have been able to win the Super Bowl in the same year too.
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Though Walt Disney died in 1966, construction of the park had begun years before. In October of 1971, the first ever Walt Disney World Resort was opened in Orlando. At the time, price of admission was $3.50 per person. Today, tickets are over $100 for anyone over the age of 10.
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In 1973 the Chicago landmark, the Sears Tower, opened its doors. With that, it overtook the World Trade Center as the tallest building in the world at the time. It kept that title for nearly 25 years and was the tallest in the western hemisphere until 2014. Today, it’s only the second tallest building in the United States.
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In 1973, former No. 1 tennis player Bobby Riggs issued a challenge to all female tennis players, saying none could beat him. He even went so far as to offer a $100,000 prize to any who could. Billie Jean King obliged. She took Riggs on in a nationally televised match deemed “The Battle of the Sexes,” and beat him, claiming the $100,000 reward.
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On April 11th, 1970, Apollo 13 launched, making it third mission in the Apollo space program aiming to land on the moon. The lunar landing was aborted, however, after an oxygen tank onboard exploded two days after launch. The crew was forced to make makeshift repairs to the vessels carbon dioxide removal system, which ultimately saved their lives. They returned to earth on the 17th of April, six days after launch.
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On May 4th, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a group student protesters opposing the Vietnam War. Approximately 67 rounds were fired over 13 seconds by 29 guardsmen, resulting in the deaths of four students (nine others were wounded). Two of the students who were killed weren’t actively protesting, but just walking past or observing.
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In October of 1973, members of OPEC imposed an oil embargo. This led to drastic inflation of gas prices and eventual fuel shortages. City blocks were locked with traffic lining up to make it to gas stations in town. Another oil crisis occurred in 1979 following decreased oil output after the Iranian Revolution.
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In what’s often called the Match of the Century, Bobby Fischer challenged defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. By 1972, the Soviets had won the title 24 years in a row. While the nation wasn’t crazy about chess, the US did want to beat the Soviets (this was during the Cold War). Fortunately, Fischer won and broke the Soviet winning streak.
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Media and baseball fans alike grew increasingly excited in the 70s as “Hammerin’” Hank Aaron approached Babe Ruth’s 714 career home runs. He’d break Ruth’s record in April of 1974 and retire two years later with 755 career home runs, a record that would stand until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007.
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Nixon’s resignation was the end of the United States’ most notorious political scandal, Watergate. The scandal began in 1972 after a break in at the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters at the Watergate complex. The five men arrested in the burglary were traced back to Nixon by the FBI and two Washington Post reporters. Nixon would resign over the scandal two years later in 1974.
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In 1974, Muhammad Ali and George Forman clashed in what’s been called the greatest sporting event of the 20th century, the Rumble in the Jungle. Foreman was, until this point, undefeated and was at the time the world heavyweight champion. Ali had formerly been the champion but was stripped of the title when he refused to join the U.S. Army. He won the title back against Forman, however, winning by knockout.
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In the summer of 1975, Steven Spielberg filled theaters and cleared beaches with his blockbuster, Jaws. The film was so ubiquitous and effective as a thriller that people reportedly bathed less following its release, opting instead to shower. The success of Jaws is what gave birth to the concept of summer blockbusters, with which Hollywood establishes the summer as the season for its highest-grossing movies.
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On October 11th, 1975, the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live made its debut with the "Not Ready for Primetime" players. Comedian George Carlin served as the show's first host. Now, over 40 years later, SNL is still a regular part of many people’s Saturday nights.
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May 25th, 1977 was the day that Star Wars opened in theaters. That day was the birth of a sci-fi franchise that’s still going strong today. Despite some executives predicting the movie to be a flop, the film would prove them all wrong and spawn one of the most lucrative franchises in movie history.
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In 1976, the country celebrated the bicentennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Celebrations happened year-round and across the country, but one of the more spectacular displays was on July 4th in the New York Harbor. That night, the statue of liberty lit up as amazed spectators watched an incredible firework display above her head.
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In November of 1976, Jimmy Carter was elected the 39th president of the United States. On his second day in office, he pardoned all evaders of the Vietnam war drafts. During his term, he created both the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. He’s also the only president who has ever had the distinction of formerly being a peanut farmer.
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In January of 1977, the television miniseries Roots began airing. The episodic series played out over eight consecutive nights, with one episode per night. The event attracted a record number of viewers, being viewed by over half the US population that year. It went on to receive 37 Emmy nominations.
After years of protest, the US involvement in the Vietnam War finally came to an end. In 1973, two months after the signing of the Vietnam peace agreement, the last US troops withdrew from south Vietnam. This was the end of America’s eight-year intervention in the conflict, which is still considered the most unpopular foreign war in US history.
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David Berkowitz, the serial killer known as the Son of Sam, was finally arrested in August of 1977. He was convicted of the murders of six people, as well as wounding seven others in a series of shootings and murders that lasted nearly a year. His spree gained a great deal of media attention, as the killer would send provocative and cryptic letters to New York’s police force.
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In 1977, the Apple II was introduced, becoming the first successful home computer. Apple Computers was created the year before by co-founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. The impact that this company would have on technology was unknown at the time, but the release of this computer would start Apple’s meteoric rise. The technology of today is largely thanks to the ingenuity of this company, started in the 70s.
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The summer of 1977 was characterized by fear for many New York Residents. Son of Sam was on his killing spree, there was a local financial crisis, and to top it all off, there was a two-day power outage. During this time of upheaval, many citizens took to looting during the night, with many even continuing into the day. Thousands were arrested by the time power was restored.
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On August 16th, 1977, Elvis Presley, The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, died. He was already considered a legend, and after passing away, he became recognized as one of the most prolific cultural icons of the century. Then president Jimmy Carter said Presley had “permanently changed the face of American popular culture.” Elvis is now buried in the meditation garden at his Memphis home, Graceland.
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In September of 1977, video games made their way into households across the world with the release of the Atari 2600. That year, 250,000 Atari 2600s were sold. By 1979, however, over a million units had been sold. This model would pave the way for what is now an industry that makes billions a year.
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Dr. Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe are credited with pioneering the process of in vitro fertilization. This process was used in the 70s to create the world’s first test-tube baby. The baby, named Louise Brown, was born on July 25, 1978. Edwards won the Nobel Prize in medicine for his involvement in the creation of in vitro fertilization.
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After 12 days of secret meetings led by President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords. The accords were named after the location of the meeting and were signed in the White House. One of the frameworks in the accords led to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. For their parts in the agreement, both Adat and Begin shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize.
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1978 saw what was the largest loss of American life due to a deliberate act until 9/11. The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known as Jonestown, was a settlement established by the Peoples Temple under the leadership of Jim Jones. On November of 1978, a total of 918 people died in the settlement, most by suicide via cyanide poisoning at Jones behest. Since so many took their lives under duress, the act is viewed more as a mass murder than a mass suicide, especially by the settlement’s survivors.
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In July of 1979, the Sony Walkman became available in retail stores. The release changed consumers music habits, allowing them to listen on the go. This is a luxury we now all take for granted, but that’s due to the tremendous impact that this device would have.
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One of the most notable serial killers in history was Ted Bundy. After murdering numerous women in the 70s (and possibly earlier), his reign of terror was finally brought to an end in 1976 as he stood trial for one of his many kidnappings. In 79, he’d stand trial for two of his several murders, of which he’d be found guilty and receive three death penalties. He was executed in January of 1989.
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