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The Floppy Disk
The flexible magnetic disk, commonly called floppy disk, revolutionized computer disk storage for small systems and became ubiquitous in the 1980s and 1990s in their use with personal computers and home computers to distribute software, transfer data, and create backups. -
The Beatles break up
The Beatles' break-up describes the events related to the break-up of The Beatles, one of the most popular and influential musical groups in history.[1] The break-up has become almost as much of a legend as the band itself or the music they created while together.[2] The Beatles were active from their formation in 1960 to the disintegration of the group in 1970. -
Kent State Shooting
May 4, 1970....National Guardsmen opened fire on a group of students, wounding many, 4 fatally, on the campus of Kent State University. Today, memorials to the four students stand near the place of the shootings. -
Tobacco on Television
In 1967, the Fairness Doctrine required that all TV stations broadcast 1 anti-smoking public service announcement (PSA) for every 3 cigarette ads that aired. These PSA's were very effective in the war against smoking. In 1969, Congress proposed a ban on all cigarette advertising on TV and radio. As expected, the tobacco companies were initially against it. However, they soon realized that a ban on TV commercials would free up funds for other types of advertising, -
London Bridge is complete
In order to construct the present bridge in Lake Havasu City, a planned community was established in 1964 on the shore of Lake Havasu. The bridge was completed in 1971 along with a canal, and links an island in the lake with the main part of Lake Havasu City. -
China and the United Nations
China's seat in the United Nations and membership of the United Nations Security Council has been occupied by the People's Republic of China (PRC) since October 25, 1971. The representatives of the PRC first attended the UN, including the United Nations Security Council, as China's representatives on November 23, 1971. China's seat in all UN organs had been previously held by the Republic of China (ROC) since the UN's founding (1945–1971), until replaced by the PRC. As the Republic of China is n -
Direct distance dialing
Direct Distance Dialing (DDD) or direct dial is a telecommunications term for a network-provided service feature in which a call originator may, without operator assistance, call any other user outside the local calling area. DDD requires more digits in the number dialed than are required for calling within the local area or area code. DDD also extends beyond the boundaries of national public telephone network, in which case it is called International Direct Dialling or International Direct Dist -
Pentagon papers
The Pentagon Papers, officially titled United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense, is a top-secret United States Department of Defense history of the United States' political-military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The papers were first brought to the attention of the public on the front page of the New York Times in 1971. -
First commecial microprocessor is introduced
In 1958 a young engineer at Texas Instruments named Jack St. Clair Kilby developed the integrated circuit. He put together a few transistors and capacitors, linking them with a thin layer of silicon, a semiconducting material. The silicon completed the circuit between the electronic components. All the building blocks of an electronic circuit -- transistors, diodes, capacitors, resistors, etc. -- could be placed on a small board and linked. This type of "chip" would revolutionize an industry. -
Nixon Shock
The Nixon Shock was a series of economic measures taken by U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1971 including unilaterally cancelling the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold that essentially ended the existing Bretton Woods system of international financial exchange. By the early 1970s, as the costs of the Vietnam War and increased domestic spending accelerated inflation, -
Willis Tower
formerly named, and still commonly referred to as Sears Tower) is a 108-story, 1451-foot (442 m) skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois.[4] At the time of its completion in 1973, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York, and it held this rank for nearly 25 years. The Willis Tower is the tallest building in the United States and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world, as well as the fifth tallest building in the world to the roof.
Alth -
War Powers Resolution
is a U.S. federal law intended to restrict the power of the President to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of Congress. The law was adopted in the form of a United States Congress joint resolution; this provides that the President can send U.S. armed forces into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces." -
Endangered Species Act of 1973
The 1973 Act implemented the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (T.I.A.S. 8249), signed by the United States on March 3, 1973, and the Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere (50 Stat. 1354), signed by the United States on October 12, 1940.
Through federal action and by encouraging the establishment of state programs, the 1973 Endangered Species Act provided for the conservation of ecosystems upon which thr -
Abortions
Abortion refers to the voluntary termination of a pregnancy, resulting in the death of the fetus or embryo. Abortions performed prior to the third trimester are legal in the United States, although the issue has polarized mainstream political parties. Almost all state Democratic Party platforms support abortion while almost all state Republican Party platforms oppose it. Pro-choice groups believe that a woman should have access to whatever health care she needs and that she should have control -
Kidnapping of John Paul Getty III
It is said that the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III was one of the most infamous kidnappings of the twentieth century. He was kidnapped at age 16, on July 10, 1973, in Rome, Italy, and a ransom of $17 million was demanded over the phone for his safe return. As Paul III was so rebellious, when the first ransom message arrived, the family suspected a ploy by the teenager to extract money from his miserly grandfather. A second demand was delayed by an Italian postal. -
oil prices
Until the March 28, 2000 adoption of the $22-$28 price band for the OPEC basket of crude, oil prices only exceeded $24.00 per barrel in response to war or conflict in the Middle East. With limited spare production capacity, OPEC abandoned its price band in 2005 and was powerless to stem the surge in oil prices, which was reminiscent. -
Nixon takes office
When Nixon took office, 300 American soldiers were dying per week in Vietnam. The Johnson administration had negotiated a deal in which the U.S. would suspend bombing in North Vietnam in exchange for unconditional negotiations, but this faltered. Nixon faced the choice of devising a new policy to chance securing South Vietnam as a non-communist state, or withdrawing American forces completely. -
Girls playing little league
Over thirty years ago, Little League Baseball was changed forever - a change that eventually would allow millions of girls to participate in the world's largest organized youth sports program.
A ruling by Sylvia Pressler, hearing examiner for the New Jersey Civil Rights Division on Nov. 7, 1973, was later upheld in the Superior Court, leading to Little League Baseball's admittance of girls into its programs. Until then, Little League regulations had prohibited girls from participating, -
Freedom of imformation Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act is a federal law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the US Government. The Act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure procedures and grants nine exemptions to the statute. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 4, 1966 (Public Law 89-554, 80 Stat. 383; Amended 1996, 2002, 2007),and went into effect the following year -
Hearst kidnappeing
On February 4, 1974, the 19-year-old Hearst was kidnapped from the Berkeley, California apartment she shared with her fiancé Steven Weed by a left-wing urban guerrilla group called the Symbionese Liberation Army. When the attempt to swap Hearst for jailed SLA members failed, the SLA demanded that the captive's family distribute $70 worth of food to every needy Californian – an operation that would cost an estimated $400 million. In response, Hearst's father arranged the donation of $6 million. -
National Maximum Speed Law (NMSL)
The National Maximum Speed Law (NMSL) in the United States was a provision of the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act that prohibited speed limits higher than 55 mph (90 km/h). It was drafted in response to oil price spikes and supply disruptions during the 1973 oil crisis. While gasoline consumption was expected to fall by 2.2%, the United States Department of Transportation calculated actual savings at 1%. Independent studies suggest savings as low as a half percent. -
President Gerald R. Ford's Proclamation 4311, Granting a Pardon to Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon became the thirty-seventh President of the United States on January 20, 1969 and was reelected in 1972 for a second term by the electors of forty-nine of the fifty states. His term in office continued until his resignation on August 9, 1974.
Pursuant to resolutions of the House of Representatives, its Committee on the Judiciary conducted an inquiry and investigation on the impeachment of the President extending over more than eight months. -
catalytic converter
A catalytic converter (colloquially, "cat" or "catcon") is a device used to reduce the array of emissions from an internal combustion engine. A catalytic converter works by using a catalyst to stimulate a chemical reaction in which the by-products of combustion are converted to produce less harmful and/or inert substances, such as the very poisonous carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. In automobiles, this typically results in 90% conversion of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides in -
Francisco Franco dies
Everything is as grey as granite. The skies, the mountains, the enormous crucifix hewn from the mountain rock – said to be one of the tallest in the world – and, in its shadow, the vast basilica of Valle de los Caídos in the Sierra de Guadarrama, near Madrid, where rests the body of General Francisco Franco, the last dictator of Spain. -
Cyber Security
Some call it a "Cyberhive"--a swarm of activity by a vast army of the country's most innovative thinkers in internet security. Their mission--to counter by mouse click the constant threats against the nation's digital networks.
It’s a corporate incubator where promising start-ups can mingle with large defense contractors such as Northrop Grumman and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to develop emerging technologies for the newly formed U.S. Cyber Command down the street -
Microsoft founded
Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest software maker, “needs to accelerate the pace of product development” to compete with Google Inc. and Apple Inc., co-founder Paul Allen said in an interview.
Microsoft’s Windows 7 phone software and XBox Kinect sensors, which help people play video games using physical motion instead of controllers, are “resonating with a younger audience” as the company tries to “get more momentum” in new technology markets, said Allen. -
Heath Disclosers
Like Jobs, Allen is again dealing with health issues. After surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Allen was diagnosed with non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009. He said it was “important for companies to disclose some level of detail” about their executives’ health conditions for transparency.
Allen declined to comment on the NBA and NFL labor situations, and he wouldn’t say if he would vote for the Sacramento Kings to move to Anaheim, California. -
Ashe won wimbledon tennis
In 1975, Ashe won the Wimbledon men's singles crown and was also ranked the best male tennis player in the world. He also became the first African-American to play on the U.S. Davis Cup team. -
Betamax VCR’s released: Betamax
Betamax VCR’s released: Betamax (sometimes called Beta) is a home videocassette tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain 1/2-inch (12.7mm)-wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional 3/4-inch (19.05mm) U-matic format. The format is generally considered obsolete, though it is still used in specialist applications by a small minority of people. -
Legionnaire’s disease strikes 182, kills 29
Legionnaire’s disease strikes 182, kills 29: Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia — lung inflammation usually caused by infection. Legionnaires' disease is caused by a bacterium known as legionella.
You can't catch Legionnaires' disease from person-to-person contact. Instead, most people get Legionnaires' disease from inhaling the bacteria. Older adults, smokers and people with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible to Legionnaires' disease. -
Entebbe air raid
Entebbe air raid: On June 27, 1976, four terrorists forced an Air France Airbus to land in Uganda, in the heart of distant Africa. They quickly demanded that Israel release 53 convicted terrorists. The hijackers freed the French crew and non¬Jewish passengers, while retaining 105 Jewish and Israeli hostages. A 48¬hour deadline was set before executions would begin. -
Apple Computer Launched
Apple computer launched: Apple was established on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne,[1] to sell the Apple I personal computer kit. They were hand-built by Wozniak[15][16] and first shown to the public at the Homebrew Computer Club.[17] The Apple I was sold as a motherboard (with CPU, RAM, and basic textual-video chips)—less than what is today considered a complete personal computer.[18] The Apple I went on sale in July 1976 and was market-priced at $666.66 -
Nadia Comaneci given seven perfect tens: Nadia Elena Comăneci
Nadia Comaneci given seven perfect tens: Nadia Elena Comăneci (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈnadi.a koməˈnet͡ʃʲ]; born November 12, 1961) is a Romanian gymnast, winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and the first gymnast ever to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She is also the winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics. She is one of the best-known gymnasts in the world .[1][2][3] In 2000 Comăneci was named as one of the athletes o -
West point admits women
West point admits women: On October 8, 1975 , the President of the United States signed into law a bill directing that women would be admitted to America ’s service academies. -
Karen Ann Quinlan
Karen Ann Quinlan: was an important person in the history of the right to die controversy in the United States.
When she was 21, Quinlan became unconscious after arriving home from a party. She had consumed diazepam, dextropropoxyphene, and alcohol. After she collapsed and stopped breathing twice for 15 minutes or more, the paramedics arrived and took Karen Ann to the hospital, where she lapsed into a persistent vegetative state. -
Karen Ann Quinlan: was an important person in the history of the right to die controversy in the United States.When she was 21, Quinlan became unconscious after arriving home from a party. She had consumed diazepam, dextropropoxyphene, and alcohol. After
Karen Ann Quinlan: was an important person in the history of the right to die controversy in the United States.
When she was 21, Quinlan became unconscious after arriving home from a party. She had consumed diazepam, dextropropoxyphene, and alcohol. After she collapsed and stopped breathing twice for 15 minutes or more, the paramedics arrived and took Karen Ann to the hospital, where she lapsed into a persistent vegetative state. After she was kept alive on a ventilator for several months withou -
President Carter Pardons Vietnam Draft Dodgers
President Jimmy Carter officially pardons all those who avoided the draft during the Vietnam War. -
Neutron bomb funding
The Neutron bomb was an atomic weapon designed to spread radiation to kill people and leave buildings intact. -
New York city blackout
July 13th saw a 25 hour blackout in the city, resulting in widespread looting. -
Alaskan pipeline completed
The pipeline was built between 1974 and 1977 after the 1973 oil crisis caused a sharp rise in oil prices in the United States. This rise made exploration of the Prudhoe Bay oil field economically feasible. Environmental, legal, and political debates followed the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, and the pipeline was built only after the oil crisis provoked the passage of legislation designed to remove legal challenges to the project. -
Elvis Found Dead
Elvis found dead: Elvis stayed up all night on the 16th. He had entertained friends, played the piano and sang, and even played racquetball in the early morning, just before, um, retiring around 8am. His fiancée, Ginger Alden, was staying with him, but sleeping in a different room. She was the last person to see him alive.
Most stories conclude that Elvis was sitting on the toilet, nude, and reading. He collapsed. By the time Ginger woke up, Elvis had probably been dead for two or three hours. -
Red dye#2 is banned
It was found to cause cancer, so it's use was discontinued, but led to a red dye scare. The ruling was more than 15 years in the making. In 1960 the FDA got jurisdiction over color additives and gave provisional approval to substances already in use, making the approval permanent when safety had been proved. The agency extended Red No. 2's provisional status 14 times as tests continued. In 1971, however, a Russian study linked cancer to Red No. 2, and consumerists in the U.S. stepped up pressure -
First test-tube baby born
On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the world's first successful "test-tube" baby was born in Great Britain. Though the technology that made her conception possible was heralded as a triumph in medicine and science, it also caused many to consider the possibilities of future ill-use. -
Love canal in New York declared federal disaster
During the summer of 1978, the Love Canal came to international attention. On August 7, 1978, United States President Jimmy Carter declared a federal emergency at the Love Canal, a former chemical landfill which became a 15-acre neighborhood of the City of Niagara Falls, New York. -
John Pope 2 becomes Pope
During the summer of 1978, the Love Canal came to international attention. On August 7, 1978, United States President Jimmy Carter declared a federal emergency at the Love Canal, a former chemical landfill which became a 15-acre neighborhood of the City of Niagara Falls, New York. -
Jonestown massacre
The suicide and murder of 900 people who drank cyanide in fruit-flavored drink, the leader shot himself. -
Camp David accords for Middle East peace
After twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the Israeli-Egyptian negotiations were concluded by the signing at the White House of two agreements. The first dealt with the future of the Sinai and peace between Israel and Egypt, to be concluded within three months. The second was a framework agreement establishing a format for the conduct of negotiations for the establishment of an autonomy regime in the West Bank and Gaza. -
Ayatollah Khomeini
Ayatollah took power in Iran on February 11, 1979. -
Jerry Falwell begins Moral Majority
Rev. Jerry Falwell founds the Moral Majority, a national effort to stimulate the fundamentalist vote and elect Christian Right candidates. Early fundraising appeals include a "Declaration of War" on homosexuality. -
The Greensboro Massacre
On Nov. 3, a group of Klu Klux Klan members and American Nazi party members attacked a group of Communist Worker's Party members who were gathered for a demonstration that was speaking out against the klan. -
Sony introduces the Walkman: Walkman
Walkman is a Sony brand tradename originally used for portable audio cassette, and now used to market Sony's portable audio and video players as well as a line of Sony Ericsson mobile phones. The original Walkman introduced a change in music listening habits by allowing people to carry music with them and listen to music through lightweight headphones. -
Nuclear accident at Three Mile island
: In March a series of mechanical and human errors caused a near meltdown of the reactor at one of the plants in Three Mile Island Pennsylvania near Harrisburg. -
Iran takes American hostages in Tehran
The 52 American hostages held at the US embassy in Tehran for more than 14 months have arrived in West Germany on their way home to the United States.
The former diplomats and embassy staff stepped from the plane onto the tarmac at Wiesbaden airport looking tired but elated after their 4,000-mile (6,437km) flight from Iran. -
ESPN starts broadcasting
ESPN started as an alternative to standard television news broadcasts and the information found in "Sports" sections of newspapers. It launched on September 7, 1979. -
• Margaret Thatcher first Woman prime minister of Great Britain
The Conservatives had taken over the Parliment, and Margaret Thatcher became the first woman to hold the highest office in a European country. Margaret Thatcher was the United Kingdom's first woman prime minister. She held the office of PM for 11 years -- longer than anyone in the 20th century. Thatcher attended Somerville College, Oxford, where she earned a chemistry degree (1947) and was president of the student Conservative Association.